Sunday came and went before we knew it. The list of boat chores which had developed during our trip needed to be addressed before heading home tonight. First and foremost, we really wanted to get the rudderpost leak fixed before we left the boat for the week. I climbed below while Sheryl stood ready at the wheel. I wanted to tighten the bolts on the collar, but not so much that the wheel would become stiff. The bolts were quite loose, so I snugged them up, while Sheryl reported no significant difference in the movement of the wheel.

We moved on to other boat chores, which included getting Ashiya ready for potential sale. An interested buyer, Rick, had looked at the boat during our absence and was (reportedly) ready to write a check. We tried not to get our hopes up too much, as we had heard that one before. We bent on her sails, and did a final polish and clean.

By late morning, Sheryl's friends Jim and Brenda stopped by for a visit on their way to see their son at ECU. We decided to use the opportunity to take them out for a short ride and test out our fix on the rudder post. We motored up the creek and did about a 20 minute sail on the Neuse. It was windy, but the waves were mild and the skies were sunny. Best of all, the leak had stopped!!! Celebration all around (Although I am not certain that Jim and Brenda really grasped the cause for this jubilation).

Upon our return, Rick was there to see Ashiya, so I left Sheryl with her friends and went to speak with Rick about all the systems of our little boat. We discussed lines and sails, we discussed the engine and the electronics, we discussed anchoring and docking. He wrote us a check, and we went out for his maiden voyage (after we shook her keel loose from the mud). We returned just before the sun set and left the boat parked for him at the end of the dock. His plan was to sleep on her tonight, and go in search of a slip in the morning.*

Joey and Dorothy invited Rick to join them aboard Dawn Treader for drinks and food, while Sheryl and I had a quick dinner aboard Queste. We tied her off as best we could in the middle of the slip (considering that she is so much bigger than Ashiya), and spared only a parting glance toward our first boat down at the end of the dock. She is a good boat who has found her next owners. May she teach them as well as she taught us. We are ready for the next level of our own education, and Queste lies ready and waiting to instruct. For now, though, it is back to the real world, where we must earn a living to support our dreams.

*Postscript note: Sheryl spoke with Rick on Monday night, and learned that Ashiya had found a home right around the corner in Broad Creek at Boondocks Marina. We are happy that it has all worked out so well, both for us and for Rick and his wife, Bibby. We look forward to seeing them around the creek.