Farewell My Beloved Stargazer

Well my dear friends.. yesterday marked the end of an era for my husband and me.  After owning our beautiful sailboat, Stargazer, it is now on it's way to her new home in Montana.  When we bought her about 25 years ago and had many wonderful adventures.  This is a photo when we had it moored in Cascade Locks and we sailed upstream to Government Cove, dropped anchor and I actually took this photo with my waterproof camera while swimming!  The sun is quite low in the sky and is reflecting off the shiny black hull.  ::sigh::

This is when I took Stargazer on the Portland Ladies Cruise - all boats were sailed to this 3 day event by female captains. 

Another ladies cruise with my fellow sailing friend Alyce that I met in the AOL Sailing Forum!  This was to the Portland Yacht Club out-station on Sauvie Island.

Alyce also was my crew for the Opening Day Parade with the Portland Yacht Club.  That was a memorable event - all the yacht clubs in the Portland area strut their stuff on the opening day of sailing season and they give out awards for this and that.  I believe we were the only all-woman crew for this event.

I did a watercolor of my beloved boat.

Dayle took this shot of me at the helm offshore in the Pacific Ocean out of Newport, OR's Yaquina Bay.  

This is a fuzzy photo - but I was taking a visitor sailing when I lived on Stargazer in Friday Harbor, San Juan Islands, Washington State.  We were headed to Deer Harbor.

I took this on Sunday after we spent hours and hours cleaning the boat to show to Mike and Mary who were driving all the way from Missoula, Montana to look at her.  I still think she's beautiful.

Dayle worked in the salon and I was scrubbing the cockpit.  I went below to snap some photos to remember her by.  I lived aboard in Friday Harbor for 4 months 15 or so years ago.  It was a very comfortable salon - the table goes down to form a queen sized berth.  I would make my coffee and breakfast while looking out the companionway opening to the boats at anchor in the harbor.

Looking to the companionway opening from the salon.

Walking away after a day aboard my beloved boat.  If Mike and Mary liked her, this would be my last memory of my boat at the dock of the Portland Yacht Club.  ::sigh::

Mike and Mary actually made good time on their trip and surprised us while we were hard at work cleaning the boat.. they were able to look her over inside and out made the final decision to buy her.  We were up early yesterday (Monday) and headed off to PYC with Dayle hauling the boat trailer and me following in my Explorer.  Then we met M&M at Danish Marine where we had arranged for a haul-out and pressure wash of the bottom of the boat before slinging it onto the trailer.  I actually ended up dog-sitting their Schnauser and Mike, Mary and Dayle drove over to the club, left Dayle's truck there and boarded the boat and motored her down the channel to be hauled out.  This is a shot after they'd put the slings on her, under the TravelLift.

Up she comes out of the water, 5,500 lbs. of boat.  :-)

Here she is.. ready to get her bottom power washed.  Side Note - I lived in a houseboat across the channel from here for 5 years.  That was a wonderful experience.

Cleaner bottom!

The amazing TravelLift then "drove" over to lower Stargazer onto her trailer - hooked up to Mike and Mary's truck.

I walked around the stern to get a shot.

Goodbye my beloved boat.  I named you, I loved you, I sailed with my husband and family and I sailed her with friends and I singlehanded her in the San Juan Islands and the Columbia River.  This is the end of an era for me.  Farewell and I do hope you have a good life in Montana.

Here she is ready to head out.. Dayle worked himself to a frazzle getting the trailer and boat ready for sale.  Kristi even spent a day scrubbing the head for us.  Travis helped with preparing the trailer.

PYC - it's been a great time - you are a bunch of really nice folks.  

After all was said and done, I took Dayle for a steak dinner at Bumper's Grill and Bar.  We both enjoyed that and felt good about this being done.  At home last night Kristi had a birthday party for the boys just for me as I will be gone during their real birthdays.  My granddaughters Spring vacation just happened to occur during their birthdays, so I'll be in Ohio.  My daughter sent the boys these amazing Transformer toys which they just LOVE!

The boys picked out a Dairy Queen ice cream cake.. make a wish!

The boys love their new little tablets their Mom and Dad got for them.

As we headed to the boat on Sunday I got a huge kick out of seeing 2 horses tied up at the Springdale Tavern.  Yes, I love living in the country!

I thought I'd end with a happy note as selling the boat was a sad and stressful time for us.  But onward and upward.  We might get a fishing boat instead. :-)  I hope you have a wonderful week!  Next post might be from Ohio.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)