The long way home

After leaving Holland some days back via canals, Libra way lying Willem Dock, Port of Antwerp Belgium (first two pics). Moved to Churchill Dock this morning to be lifted and fit to her cradle on the dock (second two pics).
Vessel in cradle is scheduled to be lifted to her transport ship on the weekend for the long trip home to the PNW USA. I am getting pretty stoked about that arrival.

You should be stoked! How long before she's in the PNW?

Trip is scheduled for 5 weeks. If Neptune is willing we should splash her in BC early August for import to US on her own bottom.
A couple more pics in the cradle:

That is great. I hope I have a chance to see the boat on the water here some day.

Beautiful ship you have there! Any interior shots you can share?

Just incredible all the way around. It all seems so glorious.

Craig,
It seems I do not have interior pictures of my own yet. There was a very nice library of them on both the European and US listing that I have been relying on. Both of those listings just recently disappeared so I will have the get to work on pics when she gets here. The interior is typical Dutch finish for that period. Lots of wood and classic yachty in contrast to her exterior...warm. Very much like my other boat which you have likely seen interior pictures of.

B,
At times I agree that it seems so glorious and at times I am pretty certain that I have lost my mind here. I will be glad to put the whole buying, shipping phase behind me and get amnesia on both of those aspects, and just settle into enjoying the boat in her new environment. There will be some electrical and electronic conversion work when she gets here along with some cleanup of the biodiesel curse in her tanks, but other than that, she appears to be quite cruise ready. Surprises are inevitable I suppose. Looking forward to it.

Think I have seen those shots.

Bill, if I neglected to say it before let me say it now. You have great taste in boats sir.

Here are the pic's
Noordzee Kotter for sale on YachtFocus

Rickized said:

Here are the pic's
Noordzee Kotter for sale on YachtFocus

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Most browsers will let you save the pics to your hard drive but it is a time consuming process.

Nice desk!!!

Is the Lowland on the market?

Thanks for the link Rickized, I had not seen that ad from the UK before.

Max, I am a little embarrassed to report that the Lowland is not on the market. We really, really like that boat and plan to keep her. Libra is just more of the same but will be moored in a slightly different geography. Neither of these vessels are fast enough to make the commute between the two ports quickly and work/life has us split between the two that are just 2.5 hours apart by land in a car but 12 hours apart by sea at this pace. Something about being able to be on the water on short notice in either locale trumped reason in this case. My rationale was that in the case of these two relics, I got alot more boat for less money than just one of the boats that most people prefer.....win, win I argued! Time will tell.

Welp...I gotta hand it to you for going after what you want. I'd probably go a long way to secure such a vessel (maybe that's the only way it can happen), but you did it while most of us sit here dreaming about doing it, I think the greatest part of having the privilege is earning the privilege. You earned it. Sincere congrats are due for a challenge well done.

klee wyck said:

My rationale was that in the case of these two relics, I got alot more boat for less money than just one of the boats that most people prefer.....win, win I argued! Time will tell.

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Yes, we know that rationale. It goes...

Some spend more on one boat than we spent on these two.

Some spend more on one boat than we spent on these three.

Some spend more on one boat than we spent on these four.

You can keep going and always argue win win.

very lovely boat !!!

healhustler said:

I think the greatest part of having the privilege is earning the privilege. You earned it. Sincere congrats are due for a challenge well done.

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....part way done.

Thanks all. Larry, there were days during this that I weakened considerably. After missing our first two transport dates due to deficiencies in our preparedness in documentation and cradle and lifting logistics in April in May, I nearly abandoned ship and re-listed her there. It was pretty unsettling to own a boat now registered in no country, sitting in a foreign country where I seemingly could control none of the variables myself. Thanks to a couple of more seasoned and rational seamen, I was talked off of that cliff. Thanks to TF's own DaddyO for a gracious counseling session that probably saved the day and my sanity on one of those days. Another reason this list is such a resource.

Still a ways to go but looking promising at the moment.

klee wyck said:

....part way done.
Still a ways to go but looking promising at the moment.

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LOL! Not being "done", especially with something that custom, is a condition that will likely follow you and the boat back to the US and for years to come. For better or worse though, she appears to be yours. I can hardly wait to see how she evolves once she's back in the PNW. My Admiral has issues with the decor in the staterooms and heads......preferring that you change that first, then schedule your first trip through the Panama Canal to the Gulf Coast where your interest in the boat will suddenly fade, then call us here in Sarasota where we'll take it off your hands and drop you off at the airport.

That is a very interesting boat. I also hope you eventually tire of her but sell to me, not that vulture Larry. ?

cardude01 said:

That is a very interesting boat. I also hope you eventually tire of her but sell to me, not that vulture Larry. ?

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I feel like we just walked into Shark Tank. lol

BandB said:

I feel like we just walked into Shark Tank. lol

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Hey, my day jobs involve cattle.....always up for a good auction but the reserve here is a bugger. Have at it.....winning bid takes pick or both.

Well done!! Will keep an eye out for you in the Sound.

Very nice,

klee wyck said:

....part way done.

Thanks all. Larry, there were days during this that I weakened considerably. After missing our first two transport dates due to deficiencies in our preparedness in documentation and cradle and lifting logistics in April in May, I nearly abandoned ship and re-listed her there. It was pretty unsettling to own a boat now registered in no country, sitting in a foreign country where I seemingly could control none of the variables myself. Thanks to a couple of more seasoned and rational seamen, I was talked off of that cliff. Thanks to TF's own DaddyO for a gracious counseling session that probably saved the day and my sanity on one of those days. Another reason this list is such a resource.

Still a ways to go but looking promising at the moment.

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Very well done.

And yes, many on this forum have talked me off the ledge numerous times.

Richard on Vacation in NYC

CPseudonym said:

Bill, if I neglected to say it before let me say it now. You have great taste in boats sir.

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Craig took the words right out of my mouth...you have great taste in boats, Bill. I've said before that IMO, the Klee Wyck is one of the best looking boats here on TF. It might have been knocked down a peg now with the arrival of Libra.

cardude01 said:

That is a very interesting boat. I also hope you eventually tire of her but sell to me, not that vulture Larry. ��

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ROFL!! You guys crack me up. Nothing like a bidding war on a boat that's not for sale.

Good luck with the transport. I'm sure you're anxious for the delivery to be completed. Are you thinking of a name change for the new boat? Have you considered Big Cheese?

FlyWright said:

ROFL!! You guys crack me up. Nothing like a bidding war on a boat that's not for sale.

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A lot easier to bid that way, you don't have to put your money where your mouth is.

BandB said:

A lot easier to bid that way, you don't have to put your money where your mouth is.

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Exactly!

Surely everyone knows I'm just jacking around, right ?

cardude01 said:

Exactly!

Surely everyone knows I'm just jacking around, right ?

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I would certainly think so. Still it's humorous since a couple of you had similar comments.

Reminds me of a shirt my father had and his secretary was always trying to buy it from him. Just silly showing she liked it. Well, he wore it long past it's useful life and then as a fishing shirt, in condition I wouldn't have dare been seen in it. So one day on his way to go fishing he has it on and she starts as always. He asks how much she'll pay for it, she says something like a dollar or two, and he takes it off and hands it to her. Now she's sitting there with an old worn out shirt that you know the moment she gets home will hit the trash.

I'm sure you're anxious for the delivery to be completed. Are you thinking of a name change for the new boat? Have you considered Big Cheese? [/QUOTE]


Thanks Al, I haven't thought about names for a bit as I have been distracted with logistics on this boat and my busy non boat life. Early in the shopping process I had a name in mind that was certainly cheese related. The reason we spend so much time up North is, as you must know, the cheese project. We make a family of cheese that is all traditional Italian and the flagship is 'Fior di latte' which is a cultured whole cow's milk mozzarella. Fior di latte translated from Italian is 'blossom of milk' or 'flower of milk'. In many ways, the fact that I own this boat is a 'blossom' of the milk business so it seems appropriate. I will admit that when looking at the exterior of this boat, 'flower' does not come to mind.
My favorite cheese at the moment is a classic northern Italian origin hard and well aged cheese called Fontina. We make a damned good one. Maybe that will do it.....hard and well aged is a better descriptor of this vessel, no? Hailing port could be Ferndale, WA which is where the cheese plant is just minutes from either Squalicum Harbor in Bellingham, WA or from Blaine Harbor in Blaine, WA.

We shall see.

If ever in the neighborhood I shall invite myself over for a tasting. The rest of y'all can keep up the bidding war on the boats