After waiting more than a year, our new Outbound 46 is finally on its way from Xiamen, China! We’ve been inching towards this goal since we ordered the boat in May 2016—deciding on pages worth of options, dealing with paperwork, and asking an endless list of questions to the owner of Outbound Yachts. He is a very patient man.
Meanwhile, we’ve been organizing everything else we’ll need to outfit the boat when it arrives and prepare for cruising. We have 17 spreadsheets so far, but that’s for another post. (Spoiler: John is insanely meticulous and it’s adorable.)
But mostly, we’ve been waiting impatiently for the last 14 months.
Then finally, on July 11 we read the magic words, “She is at the customs dock now looking good. Attached are some pictures. I promise you the pictures do not do her justice.”
We studied the photos, each on our own computer for optimal viewing. We felt relief she was finally on her way, and amazement that all the talking and planning is becoming reality. John had a look of delight on his face normally reserved for new Apple products.
And with photos like these, it was hard to contain our excitement.
There she is! Completely finished and ready to leave the factory.
Preparing to motor to the port where she will be loaded on a container ship. Will she float?
She floats! The engine works!
Hauled out at the port in Xiamen.
Being lowered onto the container ship that will deliver her to Oakland.
Ready to go!
And if you want to see a few of the interior…
Port side of the salon. We agonized over the upholstery choice for months. Can’t wait to see it in person!
Step into the galley, which features more counter space than our apartment.
View of the forward cabin. You can also see the stainless steel ports, which are a big upgrade for us from plastic on Aegea.
Nav station. Can’t wait to give the charts a proper home in the chart table.
And what did we do after we let it sink in that our boat was finished and ready for delivery? We celebrated by ordering a literal boatload of gear (currently piled in our apartment) and, of course, made a few new spreadsheets.
—Michelle