The Boat

Update, 2019... A New Boat!

In December of 2018, four years after purchasing her, we sold S/V Independence. Her adventures live on with a great new crew, and we were truly blessed to have had our time caring for her. She certainly cared for us!

In January 2019 we purchased a new-to-us 1985 Cabo Rico 38.

We choose to downsize for many reasons, but the big ones are 1) to reduce our maintenance and cruising costs enough to make living aboard while working "gig-economy" jobs feasible, and 2) because we found that the catamaran was no longer meeting our desires and future desires as boats. We have our eyes set on canals and trans-Atlantic passage making. The Lagoon wasn't the boat for us for these tasks.

Dulcinea at Solomons, MD, June 2019

Dulcinea is hull #99 of about 200 CR38s built between 1979 and 1994. Cabo Ricos are semi-custom built cutters known for their comfort at sea, a very high build quality, and lots of gorgeous teak woodwork. The Cabo Rico 38 was drawn by famed yacht designer William Crealock.

#99 has been a Chesapeake Bay girl her entire life and when we found her she was in excellent condition. We've spent 2019 dedicated to making the boat ours and getting her ready for whatever's out there. Here are just a few of the upgrades we've made or are making:

Brand new Beta 43 diesel engine (coming fall 2019!)
Coppercoat antifoul (coming fall 2019!)
Air conditioning (coming fall 2019!)
Wind vane steering (coming fall 2019!)
All new standing rigging
All new ground tackle including a 55lb. Spade and Lewmar H3 windlass
Electrical system: 400 ah Relion LiFePO4 batteries, 250W flexible solar, 400W Silentwind generator, 170a Balmar alternator, 2kw Victron charger/inverter
Full cockpit enclosure, full-screen enclosure, all new upholstery, new bed cushion with Froli springs
Airhead composting toilet
Countless other living improvements and upgrades to everything!

We picked the Cabo Rico after an exhaustive search. Our requirements were that it had to be less than 40 feet long, have a 5-foot draft or less, be built well and be safe offshore, and have a comfortable ride. So far the Cabo Rico has exceeded our expectations in every way; she is truly an outstanding and comfortable boat AND home.

From the original Cabo Rico sales brochure.

Our Previous Home:

Lagoon 380 S2 Owners Version - Independence

Independence is a 2005 Lagoon 380 S2. The Lagoon 380 is one of the most popular catamarans ever built, with 700 hulls manufactured and countless circumnavigations under their hulls. The boat is the perfect size for a cruising couple to handle on their own and the layout cannot be beat. The owner’s version features the entire starboard hull dedicated to one stateroom with head and separate shower forward and queen-sized berth aft. The port hull features two staterooms and a shared head in between. The raised saloon features a small galley, navigation station and dinette…plus stunning 360-degree views.