Buying Exile

So we gave an offer on the Alden 44 Exile that is for sale in Sausalito. After going back and forth a couple of times, we settled on a figure and arranged for an engine and generator inspection, general survey and haulout, and trial sail. Yesterday we arrived at the broker's dock at 9:15 and made the short drive around the corner to KKMI where she was hauled out.

We were able to lift the boat high enough to lower the centerboard to see how that works. We also had some zincs installed. We were relieved to see no huge problems; just the usual for a boat this age that hasn't been hauled out in two years.

By 12:30 she was back in the water and we and Greg Snead the "captain", Rick Whiting the surveyor, and Joe Biondo the broker headed towards the Bay. Considering that the boat hadn't been sailed in over a year and none of us had ever sailed on an Alden 44, it went pretty good. I'm not sure I like that in-the-mast furling. It didn't work very smoothly, but that could have deferred maintenance and dirt in all the hardware. And the sails are so old and stretched out looking I'm not even showing them. But it looks like we are buying this boat.