The new life of Shallow-minded, formerly Walkure

This is my second trip to North Carolina to see Valkure. Well that's the name she bears on her side.  It's a long story as to how I came to own this boat.  Well, maybe not long enough.  I am at the stage where one questions one's sanity.  Back at the end of May I ran into an advertisement.  Actually it was on the former owner's blog.  Because I demonstrate interests in various boating groups,  I happened to get a post regarding this boat on my Facebook feed.  Rat's, they know when to hit a guy when he's vulnerable  Having clicked on the blog URL, I was immediately transported back a few years to the time when I purchase a set of plans for the AS-29 from Phillip C Bolger (and friends).  I had every intention of building one myself as it seemed the perfect live aboard shallow drafted gunk-holer boat.  After some months of study and thought back then, and a lot of correspondence with Leo Foltz over in Germany, who was close to completion of an AS-29 I decided that it was too much of a project.  Too big and unwieldy to construct and transport. Too time consuming to build as well.  
Fast forward to now sitting there looking at the pictures with goo goo eyes.  Here was a living embodiment of my fantasies...

So a quick email to the owners netted me a phone call.  I soon was on my way to North Carolina to survey this "ready to sail" beauty. 

I knew at once when I stepped aboard that ready to sail was a relative term.  Ranging from not likely to sink at the dock to step aboard and raise the sails.
First of all she needed a complete paint job.  Boards were in need of caulk and the appearance was of a tired lady needing some serious rehab.  Perhaps my standards are higher, but one needs to do now what can only be worse if one waits until later.

After a firm email to the owners declaring my top dollar (thinking that it would be a no-go), I received, not 10 minutes later a reply with an acceptance of my offer.  Whew that was easy, too easy.  I kinda took a hard-ass approach and was pretty blunt about what I saw.  I reminded them of the monthly storage fee eating away at the bottom line, etc.  But that was just too easy.  Well, I took it.

And the rest they say is history (in the making),
Not to mention daily sweat and hard work in the broiling North Carolina coastal sun.
I've been here a week.  I have stripped off all the stuff in the way and sanded every square inch.  I've caulked and primed twice.  I have one coat of Polyurethane paint on the decks, doghouse and massive end wells.  Believe me, this is "blue collar" work if I ever saw it. No offense.  I came from blue collar, then I  College and had  a career. Now to end up with this? The things we do to "entertain ourselves" in retirement.

Now I have to "scuff," read hand sand the entire deck and repaint. This time I have to put anti-skid sand on as well.  Ditto to the sides minus the scratchy stuff.  I hope to be done this Saturday. I go home Sunday...to start work on Belle's deck.  I have to get her  ready to sell. 
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I'm killing me! Why do I do these things.

She's looking better if I do say so.  Next time the bottom and the inside.

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Here is a small video of the inside.  As you can see the storage and accommodations are impressive for a 29 foot boat especially with a draft of only 13 inches.

I'll keep you posted.  Her new name avoids the ponderous themes evoked by  Wagnerian Teutonic fantasy and sticks with the mission statement.  She's a gunkholer. She's made for the shallows. She's new to me, you see.  I  therefore have a right to rename her, don't I?  I think it's actually good luck. She'll know just what I expect of her. Wish me luck.