Meet the Boatbuilders

If your looking to hire good, hard working folks...don't call, we're fried!

The Galley

After

Before
During

Pilot Berth

Port Side, Table lifts and stores against Bulkhead

After

Starboard Side, Settee turns into Double Berth with Pilot

Before
During

Quarter Berth

After

Before
During

The Head

During

Before

V Berth

After
Emma's Side


Madeline's Side

Before
During

Deck Refit

2005 Before



2006 During

After

The Boat

It was in 2005 that we were able to purchase Hook. We were the fortunate high bidder at the Maine Maritime Silent Auction. Hook had been donated to MMA and used "hard" for two years by the students there.

The naming of our boat came in a "round about way". We all loved the story of Peter Pan and the idea of Neverland; so for awhile "Neverland" was the name of choice. In the end "Hook" won out with our tenders name as "Tick Tock". The dinghy tied to our stern reminded us of the hungry crocodile who was forever "following" behind Captain Hook!

The Story

Living Aboard?

Sounds intriguing...sounds adventurous...

"OK..., lets do it!"

Hmmmm, we don't have a big enough boat yet...

Hmmmm, I've only sailed one summer...

"Ahhh, we'll figure it out."

I recall having this conversion with Steve when I was 23 years old. We had just gotten engaged and were sailing on his 23 foot sailboat. A sailboat I might add that he and his 2 college room-mates bought on credit cards....and I believe the boats original name was "Breaking Wind"!

I'm sure most people thought this dream of ours was truly just us "Breaking Wind."

Now flash forward 2 kids and 14 years later.

In order to get the "ocean going sailboat" we had to renovate and sell our first home, rebuild and sell a family camp, and construct & sell a waterfront camp. This took us 7 years and a lot of lumber!

Part way through this process we realized we had to come up with a way to fund the trip. We knew we could try to get "pick-up jobs" along the way but also knew we couldn't rely on this. So we said, "We're good at construction, let's just build and sell a home. People do it all the time...Easy right?" Well, the building part took us 6 years and the selling part is taking us 3 years and counting. The drop in the economy was NOT in the "sail away" plan!

With that said, the other thing we've been forced to notice is that our kids keep growing but the boat stays the same size! This realization has left us with a very small "window of opportunity" to do this thing. Emma & Madeline are 5 & 8 years old now and "just" fit, as you would say!

So...OFF WE GO!