Gotta Smile Begins Her New Adventure

February 27, 2017

We closed the sale of Gotta Smile on January 26th.  The buyers wrote into the contract that Brian would move her out of the slip and get her pointed in the right direction when they were ready to leave Palmetto.  Well, February 27th was that day. Brian gave a three hour review of how to manage the systems and moved her. His skills in the current and high winds made the new owners very glad that they weren't doing it themselves.  

Deborah and Brent on Change of Pace

The 5 years we lived onboard were some of the BEST days of our lives and we are glad that we were able to share those adventures with so many of our family and friends. We feel fortunate that we had the courage to throw off the lines and travel to so many wonderful places. It really was a once in a lifetime experience. 






Now, I must give credit to Brian.  I was mostly along for the ride.  Brian did all of the hard work to keep Gotta Smile maintained and running. He is a mechanical genius! Taking off for the southern Caribbean islands was never a concern. I knew he could handle whatever came our way. (Only 1 person could do as well -- Scotty! Unfortunately, Scotty's dance card is always full.)  My confidence never wavered. Of course, there were repairs to be made and not always in the most convenient locations.  Whatever the issue, the repair was made with spare parts onboard or they were found in local chandleries, hardwares or street markets.  
 
This is one of those sad days that we all face.  We hoped someone would want to enjoy the boat that we have loved, but once it was reality we knew we'd never live that lifestyle again. We are fortunate to have many new adventures waiting for us when we switch gears.  There's lots of people and places to see -- we better get busy.   

Gotta smile -- we're loving the ride!