I purchased Etoile du Sud, a Benford 34 Junk Schooner in February 2022 in Ventura, CA. The previous owner had used the boat as a convenient apartment for several years, and considerable work was needed to ready her for ocean cruising. The boat needed paint and new sails, the tiller was rotten, the engine was not running, everything needed to be cleaned, there was no way to pump out the holding tank for the head when underway, there was no permanent stove installation, ... the list of renovations and needed upgrades seemed to be endless. And my daily confrontation with these realities was dispiriting: After 6 weeks of work, the boat was ready to go, with new handmade sails (a project previously started at home in Seattle), a rebuilt rudder, and a fuel tank thoroughly cleaned by professionals (or so I thought). I felt like I had gone through a masters level exam in every subject related to boat maintenance and repair by the time the travel lift came for...