About SV Fayaway

Update 20 October 2021: Fayaway is on the hard in Rockland, Maine, fully winterized and in queue for refitting. Her hull has recently been soda blasted. Top on list this winter are: new engine, fuel system, 2nd fuel tank, water heater, sails, watermaker, anchor & chain, arch (for solar panels) and canvas cockpit enclosure. Many smaller items are also being added.

How we got her:

We searched north and south, visiting more than twenty boats in four months, well into the New England winter, to find the perfect boat for us. And here she is…

One of the first built at the original west coast facility (hull #4). We know very little about her early history, having purchased her from the second owner. Planning a maiden voyage east into the Caribbean, the original owner had her shipped from Fullerton, California to Miami. Shipping was paid by the factory in exchange for her unveiling at the 1996 Miami International Boat show – a first appearance.

Our first preview: Kelly likes the central deeper galley sinks.

Fast forward a couple decades… Only one short week after returning from a summer cruise around the Maine coast, our original Fayaway was quickly under agreement for sale to a new owner and we found ourselves highly motivated to find a new place to live. Only the second out of twenty other boats considered, we found her early-on in our search, then residing in the “left out to pasture” section of a boat yard. Her recently-removed, deeply-tarnished shrink wrap had been strewn nearby. Rigging, also nearby, had lichen growth throughout, and her high-quality Harken furlers, blocks and winches were somewhat frozen due to serious need of cleaning. She was in the process of being spruced up after having been sitting high and dry for more than 15 lonely years! Oh boy!

We saw the bright side: her original gel coat has fewer years of UV penetration, displaying a youthful finish; she’s built of the highest quality and most of all, her design meets all of our wants and desires. Pricing was attractively lower relative to comparable boats, but this one has many unknowns. What could be wrong after sitting so long? Does the engine run? Just imagine the condition of fuel left in the tank! Do the instruments work? Batteries were obviously needed, etc. We just weren’t sure yet, and our search had only just begun.

Fayaway’s Maxprop in pieces before purchase: a true “basket case”.

Two long months of further searching and eighteen disappointing boats later, I telephoned the selling broker to inquire of her recent status. “No reasonable offers yet”. He asked what we would consider paying, should we decide to make an offer. Having already anticipated this question, we gave him the low-end number. “If the seller would consider this, please give us a call”. Roughly two weeks later that call came. After further negotiations, and a third-party survey, we had finalized the deal. We have a new home!