The Tiki Hut is for sale.
She’s listed only on Facebook Marketplace, if you’re interested.
Captain’s Note: Be warned! The Captain will keel-haul the first person that gives me that old yarn about the two happiest days of a boat owner’s life…
It’s simply not true.
The Captain is not happy!
But life changes.
A year ago the Captain and First Mate decided to buy a house.
On dry land.
It was “move-in-ready”, which the First Mate liked.
But it was also a “fixer-upper”, which the Captain liked.
Unfortunately, it has consumed a lot of our time and energy.
So much so that last Summer we only took The Tiki Hut out twice.
I haven’t even visited her much this Fall because my days off are devoted to painting or building or fixing something around the house, all of which I enjoy immensely.
The bottom line is, the slip fee at the marina is due at the first of April and the Captain is looking at that cost with some concern.
Why pay that much money to simply store a boat you’re not using?
Captain’s Note: She’s too big for me to trailer; I don’t own a vehicle large enough to pull her.
Unfortunately, I have re-discovered that I’m not much of a salesman.
In fact, the Captain sometimes get downright cranky!
I have received a flurry of messages from people who have seen my ad.
“Do you have more pictures?”
Why? You didn’t like the six I posted?
“How many will it sleep?”
Four, if you’re
small; three in your case.
“What is your bottom price?”
The price I listed. I’m not of a mind to haggle.
One prospective buyer looked up the style and age of the boat on NADA and informed me she was only worth [way less] than what I was asking. When he told me NADA’s lowest estimate, I assured him I would sink it in the lake before selling it for that price!
The Captain reminded him that, like most everything, a boat is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
I never heard from him again.
Captain’s Note: Mates, honestly, I found a similar boat on Marketplace for that lower figure; the engine manifolds were laying on the deck.
The good news is I have a full-price offer. The person wants to be sure she starts, maybe take her for a test drive – which is completely understandable.
Unfortunately, she’s winterized – which I don’t want to undo then have to redo immediately.
And it is simply not “boating weather” right now.
The Captain is also thinking about making this more interesting… like demanding the sale price be paid in gold coin.
Captain’s Note: I read about this once concerning the Sterick Building in downtown Memphis, once known as “The Queen of the South”; the owners leased it out in 1920 for $1,500 per month, to be paid in gold coin.
Gold was
worth $20 per ounce back then. Today it is running around $1,800 per ounce.
Genius!
Fear not, the sale of The Tiki Hut will not put an end to the Captain’s boating. There will be more pillaging and plundering once the house is squared away.
Until then, we have friends with boats and the First Mate has a collection of kayaks to keep us connected to the water.
And Banana Winds will continue on her usual meandering course.
Fair winds and following seas, my friends!
