Today, after several months of searching the internet for a suitable boat, I found this 1969 Irwin 27' sloop, the Kestrel. I first looked at her yesterday, and felt at home immediately. The previous owner had to leave for Africa due to work, and left the boat in the charge of Mike at the marina to sell for him. The owner didn't care how much she sold for, as long as she sold and he could stop paying the insurance and slip fees. I got her for a steal at only $3500. Like any boat of her age, she has some problems; so far, I've found five wasp nests tucked away in cabinets and storage spaces, as well as ants in a few compartments. Mike has been kind enough to let me borrow his wasp killer spray. Daniel and I spent about an hour on the boat, looking through each compartment, and discovering all the items and tools left behind by the previous owner. Some of the more interesting items found were a crucifix from Jerusalem, a flask (intact with Jack Daniels) from Thailand, an unopened bottle of wine from 2003, the Captain's log, and half a bottle of rum. After looking around for a while, we went up to the office to meet with Mike and Sherri (the notary for the company) to finalize the sale. Mike told us the story and showed us the pictures of his trans-atlantic solo trip, which completely captivated us. Sherri came in and we filled out the paperwork, I handed over $3500 cash (the most I've ever held at one time), and Mike and I shook hands. The boat was mine. Daniel and I spent another two or three hours cleaning the galley and midship, scrubbing walls and counters, polishing brass and looking for more things to clean. We left at around 1700, with the intention of returning to finish cleaning the interior tomorrow. The journey has begun.