We are, of course, eager to have the Nordhavn, but are not desperate to get off the 4087. Dirona has been a wonderful boat, far exceeding our expectations. We would not sell Dirona if it weren’t for our desire to get into longer range cruising. For coastal cruising, it’s near perfect. At 7.75 knots, it burns only 2.2 gallons per hour, making it even more economic than many trawlers. The basic design has been ideal, with sufficient space to allow rigging for comfortable and independent cruising (Dirona specifications and features). It’s been our home for the past year (Living aboard: one year later), and has taken us to some amazing places over the past decade. Since purchasing it new in 1999, we’ve put 4,100 trouble-free hours on the engines travelling between Olympia and the Alaska border, including the West Coast of Vancouver Island, the Outside Passage, and Christmas trips to Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa Inlet, and the Broughtons. We have used the boat in all of the research for Waggoner sister publication Cruising the Secret Coast, and our published articles.

While both our families had boats, it wasn’t until we bought the 4087 that we became seriously hooked on boating to the point where we have sold everything that won’t fit aboard, and can’t imagine life without a boat. Dirona has had a major impact on our lifestyle and future plans, and it is with some wistfulness that we prepare to leave it behind.