Adagio is a 2005 Jeanneau 49 Sun Odyssey, designed for comfortable offshore cruising.  She really is the perfect fit for us and we welcome her as the newest member of our family.  Adagio is a musical term that means to slow down the tempo.  We felt this name was appropriate for our new path in life.  The search for our boat was from Canada down to Panama and all throughout the Caribbean.  And where did we find her?  In Deltaville, Virginia…the small town on the Chesapeake where we had our first sailboat!  Some might say that’s a coincidence, but we know it was another sign from God that that we are making the right decision.

What were we looking for in a sailboat?

1. One that was a little tubby (a wide beam) which allows for a larger galley and saloon, bigger beds and a more stable feel when under sail.

2. A fairly newer boat.  For various reasons we narrowed our search to a boat built after 1995.  Low engine hours was also an important factor (less than 3k).

3. Three cabins.  While we could have made a 2 cabin sailboat work, we really wanted  3 beds for our family of 5, and the fact that we will be having visitors.  Adagio is actually a 4 cabin layout but in the v-berth we removed the dividing wall to make one large forward cabin.

4.  A good layout in the cabin and cockpit for homeschooling.

5. A swim platform on the transom.  Knowing that our kids will constantly be hopping in and out of the water and onto and off the dinghy and kayaks, a swim platform was a plus.

6. A refrigerator.  While some cruisers sail for years without refrigeration, this was a deal breaker for us.

7. A sailboat that was between 45-55 feet and ample tanks for water (greater than 150 gallons – Adagio has 185) and diesel (greater than 50 gallons – Adagio has 64 gallons).

8. An additional power source – Either wind, solar or generator.  Adagio has a generator.

9. A draft of less than 6.5 feet.  Adagio draws 5.7 feet.  The Bahamas has A LOT of shallow water so we didn’t want a boat with a draft more than 6.5 ft.  The goal is to run aground as little as possible!!!!

10. Limited fixing up, refitting and/or outfitting the boat.  For example, we were looking for a boat with the needed electronics (ie – chart plotter) and other gear (ie – bimini, life raft, dinghy).

Of course there were many other factors when buying our boat, but these were the biggies.