A quick update: we reached agreement on the price and other conditions with the seller of 'Islandia'. On Monday, a professional surveyor will take the boat through its paces during a 'sea trial' and the boat will be hauled out of the water to get a good look at the hull. Another surveyor will examine the engines. If those surveys come back positive, and we obtain the necessary permits, we will be all set. We expect to have all wrapped up by or shortly after Christmas.
So our visit this week has been highly productive: we found a very nice boat, also found LA and the marina to be better than we had hoped for, and 'en passant' also saw our son Victor, who started his university studies at University of California at Irvine last September, a couple of times during our week's stay.
Now we are all packed, ready for the flight back to France in a couple of hours. I will be returning on Sunday for a week in LA at work and to take care of a few things related to the boat purchase and permit applications.
Result!