After an hour with our yacht broker Ian yesterday talking through boats that we had found during the last month we made our most significant step forward to date in our boat buying/sailing/travel adventure. It’s actually a really big relief for both of us because there are so many boats out there that look the same or have similar features, but each has a distinct personality or character and getting the right ‘fit’ is important.

I left Ian’s feeling a tense and frustrated as it feels like both of us have been permanently attached to yachtworld.com for the last four years, and right up until the last minute with Ian we were still finding new models or brands that we hadn’t looked at already, rather than reducing the number on our (already too long) shortlist. I was starting to feel that despite having worked really hard for the last month, pretty much every day, comparing the merits of different yacht designs and interior layouts that our goal was no closer.

So we did what comes naturally to us… walked across the road to the Granville Island Brewing for a pint of their finest ale and some pub grub, I had their Island Lager and Keli had their Gastown Amber Ale and took a step back to talk it out. With some fuel in my belly and some time to reflect on the conversations with Keli it all started to make sense, were buying a Beneteau Idylle 37 or 38, and here’s a example of what she may look like:

Beneteau are a French company that have been building boats since 1884. They are known worldwide, and whilst some of their more recent models aren’t considered particularly suitable for offshore cruising as their construction is not as robust, the boats built in the 1980s are really good, and that’s exactly the era of boat that fits our budget – perfect.

We’re getting on one in Vancouver next week with Ian to double-check that we’re happy with how it feels, and then we’ll look at all the boats available on the market – at the minute only 3 in North America – and make an offer on the one we prefer. It looks unlikely that we will find a boat on the east coast of the States as we had previously hoped, so we’re considering one in San Francisco that we can either load onto a lorry and transport to Florida, or sail down the west coast. Over dinner tonight we’re going to chat with Humphrey and Claire, and Dennis and Pat about the two options.

Looks like we’re still on track to start sailing in November which is great. We’re both enjoying our Vancouver lives, but the cost of living here is a good bit higher than the Caribbean and we’re can’t afford to eat into our travel budget too much.

A thought about the blog…Not being a blogger, and having not attempted to write about travelling while travelling before, it’s been hard to find a balance between the factual information about where we are, the calendar of events as they occur in our day to day, and the reflections on who we really are as people and how we’re doing. Up to now things have felt a little stale, and/or polished. A little impersonal. And so from here on I’m going to try to loosen up a little on the keys and get more frequent updates about what life is like, rather than the calendar entries or factual monologues. Maybe it’s a bit of a ego thing too, little background questions like ‘would they publish this in the Independent?’. So a new resolution today… forget the Independent… I shall blog with personality and humour… loosen up a little… laugh at myself… post naked pictures on the Internet… continue merrily on my way without harming people.

I’ll keep in touch.

In preparation for the Bowron Lakes canoeing trip Kel and I bought half the store yesterday, from water storage and coffee related equipment to cook it in a bag chicken teriyaki! MEC is something sorely absent in the UK – an outdoor sports shop that operates as a not-for-profit cooperative, supplying amazing quality goods to its members at great prices. And if it’s weights you’re in to then check out olympic weightlifting shoes.

Having stocked up on meals for the week, today we’re packing our bags and sitting in front of the TV to watch the US open, before heading off first thing tomorrow in the car for our first roadtrip into the wilderness. Another amazing thing about Canada is that you can drive for 630 Km, a Google Maps predicted 8 hours 15 minutes journey, and still be in the bottom third of one province! Blows my little mind.

Anyhow, off to breakfast… A full Independent Travel suppliment style report on the Bowron Lakes to follow next weekend. My first little test as a travel journalist. Here’s a little snap of me getting a Canadian education!