Couple paid $1 for a yacht in Connecticut and are now setting sail in it after fixing it up
- A couple bought a yacht for $1 and some maple syrup
- It was an Endeavour 32 found on Facebook Marketplace
- The plan was to clean it and rectify any mechanical issues
Published on Jan 30, 2025 at 3:27 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 30, 2025 at 4:53 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
If you’ve ever dreamed about leaving it all and sailing off into the sunset you’ll love the story of a Connecticut couple who bought a yacht for virtually zero and set sail after an epic fix-up.
The cost of the boat? Just $1 plus a pint of homemade maple syrup.
However, the pair invested a lot of time and money into the Endeavour 32 sailboat to clean her up and rectify several mechanical issues.
Now she’s ship shape, they plan to sail her – but this isn’t the end of their boat restoration voyage.
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The Endeavor 32 yacht
Ian and Sydney are a young couple, who love travel and were looking to make adventure their lifestyle before starting up the YouTube channel, Sailing Gemma.
After considering other boats, including a concrete schooner and a 37ft ketch, they ultimately chose ‘Gemma’, an Endeavor 32, after coming across it on Facebook Marketplace.
To their surprise and delight, the previous owner offered them the vessel for just $1.
He said he didn’t need the money and took an instant liking to the ambitious young couple.
In addition to the tiny cost, they also gifted the seller a pint of homemade maple syrup as a token of their appreciation.
The fix-up before setting sail
Their dream was to live on the water and ‘cruise around the world‘ on the yacht but had lots to do before the yacht was ready for cruising.
They first moved the boat 5 miles to a new marina in freezing conditions, dealing with strong winds and a messy boat.
This short relocation uncovered the fact that the alternator wasn’t charging properly due to a broken bracket.
Thankfully Ian was able to weld and fix it with more electrical work needed to get it up to par.
Next, the pair organized their tools, greased the winch, and even lifted her out of the water to get ready for their first proper sail.
With Gemma now partially converted ahead of a refit next winter, the pair are looking forward to a summer of sailing before they move onto the boat and embark on more boat projects.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
