Deciding this was the boat for us, we signed a firmer offer; one which stated that if a hull survey proved she was in good condition we would buy her. Her owners, the broker, and we took her 30 miles down the York River, up the Poquoson River to Chisman Creek. to Smith’s Marine Railway, Seaford, VA, for the survey. She was hauled out onto the railway, and the surveyor, a retired US Navy captain from a Norfolk firm, declared her to be in very good condition.
Of course, she was still not ours, but according to the signed offer, she was about to be.
Ken arranged to have Smiths replace a spreader, remove the barnacles, treat the hull, and repaint her below the water line. Watching all this with wonder and delight, Eulie and I decided that, with the new paint job, she looked like a huge bathtub toy.
It was time to return the Puffin to her home yacht basin. Ken had piloted her down to Seaford, and he returned her to her basin, even docking her smoothly both times. It was a great feeling knowing that both the Puffin and Ken had passed with flying colors!
With much more to do on the homefront and on the purchase, we arranged for a mid-January possession date. Bidding our ship farewell, we drove first to Florida and then home, pinching ourselves all the way!
Living this experience, after having had other ‘adventures with Kenneth’, I accepted it all rather calmly with comparatively little question. In reflection, it does take a special kind of person to plan ‘chucking it all’ for a dream, then actually carrying it through, as Ken has done. but, if ‘unique’ is the word for both the Pious Puffin and her crew, her history is right in step!