Her name is Belle

Belle is a Moody 41 Classic, with a blue hull and the most elegant lines I ever saw in a sailboat. I first saw her laying on the hard at the boatyard of the Sines Marina, the same marina where my old boat, Noah, had been moored since my stroke. And apparently, she had been there for a while already. I looked for an elevated location in the boatyard to be able to see her deck. I could see that she had systems and design characteristics that I considered essential for my project, and that Noah didn’t have. Things like an in-mast furling mainsail, a self-tacking jib, swim platform, dual helm stations, large side decks, et cetera. Everything seemed to confirm what I had read on my research about this particular boat: She is a sturdy seaworthy ocean-going boat, well built, and properly equipped with modern systems. She not only looks good, which she undoubtedly does, but she was also ready to be to be sailed short-handedly in all sorts of conditions. She was indeed the one for me. Still, I couldn’t help thinking, “She’s out of my league… But I can dream… And dreaming does not cost anything.” Finally, after some weeks courting her, I gained courage to ask the marina officer if they knew if she was for sale, and for some information about the owner. They promised to contact the owner to check if they could give me his contact details. After a couple of weeks, I received an emailmessage from the owner. I replied to him, expressing my interest and my plans for her. He was not very keen on selling her, but after some insistence, and with the help of his wife (who seemed a bit tired of boat life), he agreed to negotiate. It was a long and sometimes stressful process, but we finally agreed on a value. The next step was for me to come up with the funds. It wouldn’t be easy, for sure, but I realized that if I sold most everything that I owned, maybe I could do it. Maybe! And here I took the only decision possible, “It would be all or nothing.” So, I decided that I would sell the old boat, my car, and all my motorbikes. Over the last years before the stroke, I had collected most of my childhood dream motorbikes. Nothing very fancy, just some classic motorbikes, and one very special adventure motorbike. It would take a while to sell Noah and my beloved motorbike collection. Following our heart may sometimes bring us pain and sorrow, but it can also bring delight and joy. We only find out if we try. Anyway, after a few months (and numerous long email messageswith the old owner…), Belle was finally mine. Life v2.0 is on! Let the Project Tāmata begin!