Island Packet 35

The first Island Packet that we set foot on was an IP 38 docked in Florida. We both looked around a felt at home, which hadn’t happened at any other point on our search. That boat was a little too big for us and also pretty far out of our price range, but we visited an Island Packet 35 later that same day. We couldn’t help but picture ourselves living on that boat and daydreaming of the adventures that we could be having. That Island Packet 35 was also a bit out of our budget, but we left Florida feeling hopeful. At the very least, we finally knew what we were looking for. In a fortuitous turn of fate, we ended up purchasing that IP 35 a few months later.

For us, the IP 35 is perfect. We wanted a boat that we were confident could cross oceans. As a full keel cutter rig, this boat is more than capable. In fact, our IP has circumnavigated before with her first owners and we are hoping that she will show us the way.

Our IP 35 was built in 1989 and it came with a ton of bells and whistles to help us along in our journey. Our boat only had two owners before us and they were both meticulous about maintenance. The first owners were the ones who sailed around the world. Thanks to them we have an SSB, life raft and EPIRB. The second owners used the boat to cruise the East Coast and the Caribbean. Their big upgrade was a fancy full enclosure for the cockpit. At first, this wasn’t our favorite addition but we are quickly coming to appreciate it.

Talking creature comforts, our boat has two cabins, one for us and one for the adventurous souls that come to visit. Not to mention a roomy head with a separate shower area and a more than satisfactory galley. We are happy to be calling Zaratan home.

Zaratan

In Arabic mythology, Zaratan is depicted as a turtle with an island on its back. There are myths from all over the globe describing a mammoth creature disguised as an island. Some of the legends say that the sea monster is evil, actively seeking to lure and drown sailors.

We chose the name because we like the Arabic version of the turtle that only submerges in order to protect itself. It is our belief that many creatures are made out to be big scary monsters when in reality they are reacting to changes in their environments caused by humans. Whether it is a loss of habitat due to deforestation causing some animals to “encroach” on cities, or a loss of natural prey creating the need for predators to seek alternative food sources like livestock, it takes understanding our role in the ecosystem to enact a positive change.

Zaratan serves as a reminder for us not only to take good care of our boat, lest she drown us, but also to nurture our environment and our planet.