Anam Cara

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In July 2004 I arrived in Washington State and by the end of that month I was the proud owner of a power cruiser which I named Anam Cara..  The pair of photos below were taken the day we brought her out for the pre-purchase survey, July 11, 2004.

 

 

The boat was built in Taiwan in 1989, but she certainly did not have all the appearances and defects one would expect of a 15-year-old boat. The woodwork inside is spectacular, not only for its appearance but also for the craftsmanship.  Everything fits.  Doors swing and close cleanly, panels fit perfectly and most important she is immaculately clean!  The engines, Caterpillar 3116TA turbo-diesels, had only 1600 hours: that's the equivalent of perhaps 1600 miles on a car.   It's kind of hard to imagine a 15-year-old car with 1600 miles on it, but here was a real case.  Some more photos are below.  I will add more comments mixed in with the photos.

 

June 6, 2004: First day I ever saw the boat.  One of the features I liked immediately about her is the cockpit and the master cabin aft.  The two aft-facing windows are from the cabin.

"Sequel" was the boat's name until I re-named her Anam Cara.

Anam Cara is the Celtic phrase meaning "Soul Friend".  There are volumes written about the expression, one of which I have and keep aboard the boat. 

 

 

 

Here's a view of the salon looking forward.  The fellow on the left is Bob Dalby, the broker who represented me in the purchase transaction.  On the right is my son Jimmy.

 

                                                                

On the right is a view of the galley, looking forward from the salon.  One of the features  the builder used to great effect was the number of mirrors.  Note the large mirror behind the seat facing aft.  The doorway beyond leads to the forward v-berth compartment, and the forward head (port side, not visible from here.)

 

Here's a view of the work area in the galley.  The stove is fueled by a propane system from up top.  On the left, barely visible, is the refrigerator-freezer.

 

Here's the master stateroom.    Note the large mirrors behind the bed and above the counter, which add to the sense of spaciousness in this room, which is already quite large.  It's a bit hard to see, but on the wall next to the telephone is a unit connected to the boat's navigation suite.  I can have this on all night and it tells me what the water depth is at any time.  A very good safety item when anchored overnight.

 

                                                                      
This is the boat at the dock in Friday Harbor, Washington during a trip in early February, 2005.  This photo was taker before the storm that nearly  blew away the cover on the inflatable and tore my flag to shreds.  The wind blew from noon Saturday for about 24 hours at gusts in excess of 40 knots.

 
In October 2007 we went to the Gulf Islands of British Columbia.  Here's the boat in Sidney Harbour, BC.

 

                                                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

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