May 6th, 2005: The Survey. Buying a boat is an interesting business, especially when you're buying a boat out of the country. We first spotted "Snowcat" on the internet. The owners, Dean and Karen Massey, were in Guatemala on the Rio Dulce, so there was no seeing the boat first to get a feel for condition, etc. beforehand. We dove into the deep end!
We worked with our broker to formulate an offer, subject to sea trials, inspection and survey.
We met the Massey's in Belize for the inspection and sea trials, then agreed to meet them in La Ceiba, Honduras to haul the boat out for survey. If all went well, we'd complete the purchase.
We arrived on the 5th of May with a surveyor (Geoff Williams, West Indies Marine Surveyors ) we'd hired out of the BVI's. Very, very talented guy but definitely not local! After a thorough top-to-bottom in the water inspection, we then proceeded to the travel lift to haul the boat out of the water.
Hauling your boat (then Dean and Karen's) is a harrowing experience. The slip at La Ceiba is about a foot and one-half wider than the boat's beam. You hold your breath then motor in. Next, you make doubly sure the straps are in place before they lift.
If all went well, you'll see where the sun don't shine. In this case, all went well and we became the proud owners of "Snowcat"!
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