Buying Odin, custom sailboat.

I've always been interested in sailboats, but when I moved to Vancouver, it was financially out of reach. Because of that, I didn't really look into them for 20 years.

But once in a while, I would browse YachtWorld, especially to see what wooden boats were for sale. Long story short, I ended up looking at a 13-metre wooden boat that was listed in Vancouver. I clicked on the ad and found it on the website of a broker based in West Vancouver.

The boat was amazing, and the price was completely out of reach, but on the same website I noticed Odin — much smaller and far more affordable. I took a quick look at her details and decided to contact the broker. It was a Friday, and I asked if it would be possible to see her. We arranged for me to visit the next day at the West Vancouver marina, where the boat was sitting on a trailer.

When I arrived and saw Odin, I completely fell in love. As Arnt, the owner, later told me: “With this type of boat, people either fall in love immediately or they do not even step on board — it is a very particular kind of sailboat.” I could not agree more.

She was beautiful, full of character and style. I loved the yellow hull, the wooden interior, and all the small details. Arnt Arntzen is an artist, and I may well have bought one of his finest and most beautiful creations.

I read the article published in Pacific Yachting, asked as many questions as I could, and eventually made an offer. One of the conditions of the offer was that I would sail with the owner first. If, after that, I did not feel comfortable buying Odin, I would be able to withdraw my offer.

Arnt took the time to sail with me in the bay, and as soon as we left the harbour, I knew I was going to buy her. Odin was clearly his baby. The reason he was selling her was that his wife had developed knee problems, and Odin was simply too small for them, especially the cabin, where you cannot stand upright. He had also just finished building a new sailboat and did not want to keep both.

Arnt was incredibly meticulous, and I could immediately sense that the boat had been very well built and carefully maintained.

On October 21, 2020, I signed the purchase agreement. Odin was sitting on her trailer in the parking lot of Pacific Burrard Marina. I was now the owner of a sailboat. It was fantastic!