Our First Trip back to Serenity Isle

After a long winter's nap tucked away on the hard, it was finally time to reunite with our girl. We packed our baby SUV, hitched the trailer, loaded what felt like half our house, and set off for Racine, Wisconsin on a beautiful April day in 2024. We were way too excited to wait for splash day, we just had to go see our sailboat. Honestly? It felt like Christmas morning… if Christmas involved highway traffic, hotel stays, rest stops, and a questionable trailer load.

Our nine-year-old Shichon joined the adventure too, freshly cleared by the vet and armed with puppy Prozac to help her handle anxiety, especially for those big, bustling cities like Toronto and Chicago. She handled it like a champ… better than we did some times!

The First Surprise

The drive was more “interesting” than we’d hoped thanks to a poorly balanced trailer, which made higher speeds a little nerve-wracking. But we arrived safely in Racine, checked into our hotel, and practically sprinted to the marina to see Serenity Isle for the first time as her official owners. That joy came with a bit of shock.

We learned she hadn’t been locked all winter; and no one had notified us. With theft and vandalism always a possibility, the news was unsettling. We also discovered the previous owner had still been accessing the boat until shortly before we arrived. I had mixed feelings hearing that… a little uncomfortable, but also understanding that letting go of a beloved boat isn’t easy.

Thankfully, everything appeared untouched and intact.

Then Came the Smell…

The minute we opened the companionway, we were hit with a strong wave of mildew and mould. We flung hatches open as fast as we could and eventually uncovered the culprit: a persistent leak around the mast that had quietly damaged the surrounding teak flooring, despite the shrink-wrap protection for what could have been all winter. My heart sank.

There’s nothing fun about discovering damage before you’ve even sailed a mile. But we didn’t complain, part of us felt responsible for not checking earlier in the winter to be sure she was winterized and secure. And honestly, once we got to work, the disappointment softened. Cleaning may not normally be my idea of fun, but doing it for our soon-to-be sailing home gave it purpose. So we rolled up our sleeves, scrubbed, aired out, tossed things the previous owner left behind, and slowly brought Serenity Isle back to life.

Five Busy Days in Racine

Those five days flew by.

Putting up netting to make it safe for the doggo

I tackled the inside; cleaned, organized, unpacked, refreshed, and even removing the Serenity Isle decals from the hull. Meanwhile, Tom handled exterior care, engine checks, and tackled the leaky mast. Our pre-purchase survey had given us a checklist, so we worked through what we could, including replacing aging lights and some wiring. Happily, the mast leak turned out to be less dramatic than it first felt, a bit of cleaning, a bit of silicone, and she stopped weeping like a drama queen.

A Tense Treasure Hunt

Despite the rush of the trip, we made sure to go through every locker, cupboard, cubby, and mysterious hiding spot to confirm everything listed in the sale brochure was actually onboard. That’s when we realized we were missing two very big things: the asymmetrical spinnaker and all the cockpit cushions. Cue another round of stress. The marina contacted the previous owner and, well… the conversation was less than pleasant. He was furious — insisting the spinnaker was practically brand new and he never would have included it with the sale and had sold it separately, and insisting the cushions were definitely still on the boat. He was so upset, he actually drove an hour to the marina to continue arguing in person. We invited him onboard to look for himself, hoping maybe they were tucked in some impossible-to-find hidey hole. Meanwhile, we stayed calm and tried to take it all in stride. We had a feeling the cushions had simply been misplaced… but hearing him blame the marina’s lack of security cameras didn’t exactly help anyone’s nerves. Especially since, if he had properly secured the sailboat for winter, no one should’ve been onboard removing anything in the first place.

One Last Curveball

The day before we left, we removed the shrink wrap in the rain… because boating always loves adding a little chaos for flair. That’s when we discovered a significant leak in the portside galley portlight. We also learned the previous owner had already arranged and paid for repairs for both the portlight and a faulty radio, which honestly meant a lot. Not everyone does that. Since we couldn’t leave her vulnerable, Tom sealed things temporarily with shrink-wrap and tape until the marina could work on it. Not pretty, but effective.

The Truth Comes Out

Late in the day, while we were already on our way home, the phone rang. The marina had news. The previous owner had checked his storage unit and… surprise! The spinnaker was sitting safely there the whole time. And the cushions? The marina had them. Turns out staff had removed them earlier in the winter because they weren’t being stored correctly and didn’t want them damaged. So in the end, everything was accounted for. They even sent photos to prove it. Relief doesn’t even begin to cover how we felt in that moment.

Grateful… and Already Missing Her

I’m so glad we made this early trip. We fixed what needed fixing, cleaned what needed cleaning, learned more about our boat, and reassured ourselves she was okay. Leaving her behind again, though? That part stung. Waiting for splash day feels endless when your heart is already on the water.

But summer is coming. And Serenity Isle is waiting. And this adventure is only getting better from here. ⚓️💙