Cool Change Sailing

It was exciting to receive all the closing documents in my email inbox today. The finance company requires that I sign all the forms, half must be notarized, then overnight them back the next day. This just got real. Many of those forms were expected, but not all. The low interest rate I’d earned requires me to become a member of a credit union–which I’ll gladly do–but other forms made me smile. I had to complete a form that goes to the Department Of Homeland Security and U.S. Coast Guard. The latter government institution, I understand. But Homeland Security? I hadn’t considered that they would need any documentation because this “feels” like buying a house. But since it’s not stationary, I understand why they’re involved.

Another document is titled “First Preferred Ship Mortgage”! Yessir–I’ve gone from a home mortgage to sailboat mortgage but each loan describes the place I live! I didn’t see that one coming. And, that document has already changed the vessel’s name from “Wendy Ann” to “Cool Change”! I can’t wait to bring it home and make it my own.

When I called the broker and told her the new name, she said “Make sure you go to Neptune and properly switch those names”. I said “Really? I assumed that all I had to do was remove the former name and apply my chosen name.” She insisted that I visit “Neptune” and follow their protocol.

Oh well…I assumed that any adherence to Neptune’s instructions would be relatively inexpensive, but I was glad to discover this now, rather than make some rookie mistake so soon in my ownership of the boat and perhaps be fined or suffer some other penalty for failure to do what’s right.

I Googled “Neptune Boat Name Change”…and discovered it’s all just a silly practice done in the name of the god Neptune, god of the deep, so that you aren’t cursed by him for failing to offer him proper honor and respect and thus place you and your boat at risk.

Give me a break.

I thought it was something necessary to switch boat names “legally” through the proper channels. It never occurred to me it was just a silly tradition without any real foundation. And with my polar-opposite views about any pagan god, I’ve already got this base covered with my actual spiritual protection from the One who actually counts!

Tomorrow, I become the boat’s official owner. Within the next two months, we’ll do two final events. First, I’ll travel back to CT and conduct a sea trial on Long Island Sound to confirm that all the working features are actually working to perfection. Second, I’ll have to remove the rigging and have it transported over land to Lake Erie. Once it arrives here, my work will begin adding a few other important features that it doesn’t already have, but those additions shouldn’t take too long.

When July 4, 2023 arrives, so too does the beginning of my life’s next great adventure.