Two people, one dog, one boat, a long list of repairs, and a quiet commitment to writing it all down.
Tom has been boating since he was eight, when his dad first took him fishing on Lake Erie. He spent eight years as a mechanic for the U.S. Air Force, then worked for a major airline until retirement. Along the way he restored a 1977 19′ Crestliner and a 1985 CJ7 Jeep. He owned several power boats over the years before Never Land came along — his biggest project yet. He often referred to himself as a wingnut, but now identifies as a sailor.
Nina has been boating since she was a baby — some of her first words were "boat" and "big boat" — and living aboard has been a lifelong dream. She grew up on her grandfather's wooden boats and later bought a Sea Ray of her own, then joined a sailing club in the Cleveland area, where she met Tom. She has a lifelong habit of taking things apart and putting them back together: cars, dirt bikes, boats, a Sea-Doo built up from an empty hull, and restored a historic century home.
Wilson — better known aboard as the little booger — has been boating since he was three months old. He's never once offered to help sand, but he keeps morale high. He loves food, toys, and other dogs.
We're documenting the refit here — the projects, the costs, the mistakes. Some of it may be useful to other owners. The rest is just the record we want to have.
Boat-related corrections, sister-hull intel, and friendly hello-from-strangers are all welcome. We answer when we can.
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