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One is “Little Lady,” a New Horizons 25, built in the early 60’s in Toledo and owned since 1973 by a Raleigh couple. After years of tending to the boat, taking care of it, and most importantly, sailing her, they don’t have time for “Little Lady” any more.

SailCraft Services owner Alan Arnfast and Koantik, one of two boats that may be sawed to pieces unless someone takes them.

The other orphaned boat is a MicMac, made in 1972 by McVay in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. She is a cruise-worthy vessel whose last owner named her “Koantik,” which means squirrel in the Breton language. Bretagne is where Kevin Nealey grew up before buying the 26 foot boat in Toronto almost a decade ago. He spent a Lake Ontario winter on it before heading south in late 2003.

At SailCraft, the MicMac 26, Koantic, and the squirrel on her bow. (The name means squirrel in Breton.) One SailCraft employee suggested that the boat was solid and just needed “a shoe-shine”.

Kevin Nealy arrived in Oriental that December. It was an unplanned stop. He helped his new-found friends Sean Prendergast and Esther Granville bring their dismasted boat in from the ICW, just before Christmas. He had plans to sail south, very far south. Patagonia was a destination, in large part because that is where his mother had sailed. In France, Nicole van de Kerchove made her mark as a sailor and writer. Her son showed photos of her adventures – crossing the Atlantic solo and later with her daughter, and still another trans-Atlantic passage on a boat outfitted with a kite.

Down below on Koantik.

In 2004, Kevin put his sailing plans on hold, anchored Koantik in Smith Creek and made his way to British Columbia where he settled in. For more than three years, Koantik’s dark blue hull became part of the scenery on Smith Creek, bobbing on a mooring until 2008 when Kevin returned. This time, he had photos of his new baby daughter to show and plans to have Koantik hauled to British Columbia where he could work on it.

An abandon ship list from a time when the owner prepared for the emergency of leaving the boat while at sea. Instead, the boat itself has been abandoned on land.

He got Koantik out of the water, and over to the SailCraft Service boat yard. Then, the company he’d found online to transport the boat never showed up – but did take some of his money. Kevin had to fly home and thought he could arrange for the boat’s transport. But it never happened. Shortly after that, he put Koantik up for sale. That was two years ago. She’s sat in Alan’s yard since.

Alan Arnfast expresses genuine angst about have to cut up a boat. He has spent all his life around boats, and is in the midst of rescuing and refitting a wooden sailboat himself. But he has a boat yard to run, and employees to pay. Yard space needs paying customers.

Alan mentioned to TownDock.net last week that he was about to have Koantik and Little Lady taken apart and removed. We wondered though if, just as with rescue pets, there might be someone out there who wants to rescue a boat – or two. Both boats served their owners well – they just need new ones. The new owner of either boat should be ready to to do restoration work. After brief inspection though, it appears Koantik may need more clean up than actual structural restoration – it seems a solid boat.

Those interested in having either boat for just a thousand dollars, should contact SailCraft within a week. Call 252-249-0522.

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Posted Wednesday May 12, 2010 by Melinda Penkava