Best days of a sailor's life?

[sopwith camel]

I've often read that the best days of a sailor's life was when he buys a boat (which I agree with) and the day he sells his boat (which I defintely do NOT agee with). We watched our boat leave for Canada this weekend with her new owners and were very surprised at how sad we've been and how much we miss her. I know its only been 2 days, but its crazy. I didn't realize how attached we had become to her. Anyone else feel that way?

At least we're starting to look at new (to us) boats now. Maybe we'll find another boat we can devote ourselves to...

[mickmul]

Once had a fairly good (but sad) day selling my previous boat, needed the money and hadn't used the boat much over the previous year because of very young kids. I've since realised I was mad to even think of selling, even worse at the price I got. New (to me) boat now which I love, so I guess it all works out in the end. I hope it does for you too. . .

[svHyLyte]

When we finally sold our old boat--a 1976 Cal 2-29 that we'd had for a looooong time and brought to Florida from California when we moved--two years after we'd purchased our "new" old boat (because we couldn't bare to part with her any sooner), my then 10 year old daughter stood on the sea-wall with us and cried inconsoleably and my wife and I both had tears in our eyes when she left us.

Unfortuantely, the fellow that bought her did so on a whim and promply lost interest. Over the next two years she sat all but unattended in a near-by Marina, slowly moldering away--canvas rotting in the sun, and once glistening varnish cracked and pealing. The fellow had so little interest in her, that when hurricane warnings were posted, he didn't bother to remove her sails or brail her main, or even add extra lines. When one broke at the height of a storm, her bow pounded itself on a nearby piling, bending her bow-pulpit, smashing up her hull-to-deck joint near the bows and even breaking off part of the crown of her anchor. It was heart-breaking to watch what had been such a great, reliable, old boat--in near perfect condition--laid waste.

Fortunately, we learned recently that she was finally rescued by someone that cares for her as much as we did and that he restored her and shipped her back to California--to the San Francisco Bay area--where she again thrives on Pacific water.

s/v HyLyte

[imagine2frolic]

I was lucky when I sold Frolic. I was in Jax Florida when she was sold in S.F. Ca. We had been travelling on Imagine for 4 years when I could no longer justify keeping her.

I don't think I could have stood the agony witnessing another person's hand taking her tiller. At one of the lowest parts of my life. Frolic is what kept me going, and let me hold onto my sanity. Eventually I filled 200 pages of thoughts & photos. Many were related to sailing, and knowing Frolic.

I love my cat Imagine, but she will never be able to replace Frolic. When I first bought her I thought the name Frolic was tame. I even removed her name from her stern. I couldn't bring myself to place another name on her. She turned out to be anything, but tame. She was always willing, and tougher than I. This pic is of her & I alone headed for Mexico......

Eventually her & I became one after several years. I owned her from 1990-2007, and I had bought my cat in 2002. I just couldn't bring myself to sell her until it was necessary. For a very long time she was my family......oh how I miss that boat!!!!!!

[imagine2frolic]

svHyLyte

You posted as I was typing. Maybe she's sailing alongside Frolic now, and then?

[ssullivan]

Wow... *I* nearly had tears in my eyes reading your post.

I know the feeling. I had the same thing happen to my O'day 302. She had a loan on her, but she got me through many difficult years. She was a getaway from a very stressful executive type life that ended in disaster after 9/11.

You see, I had a business in NYC (16 person software company) I worked hard to keep running, as any entrepreneur without funding or any savings can understand.

9/11 caused such financial hardship for me that it literally destroyed my financial life. Aside from seeing grown men walking by my building with strollers sobbing uncontrollably (probably about their now dead wife), I lost the following:

*My business
*Some people
*My home
*My ability to buy food and clothing, etc...

I also lost my O'day 302, which was in perfect condition. I could no longer make the bank payments and she sat, rotting away for years at a marina in CT. The bank somehow never came to pick her up, even though I called many times to make note of where the boat was.

The heartbreak of seeing my once pride and joy deteriorate year after years was agonizing. First the gel coat dulled, then canvas started wearing, then bees lived inside the boat. Leaves filled the cockpit drains and allowed it to fill with water, etc...

It's very heartbreaking to lose a boat. Out of all the bad that came out of 9/11's effect on me, losing that boat and the company were the hardest because I had spent my entire life after college working toward that point.

The boat loss kind of personified the hardship and disaster that was dumped in my lap that crisp, chilly, bright blue morning in September.

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

When we finally sold our old boat--a 1976 Cal 2-29 that we'd had for a looooong time and brought to Florida from California when we moved--two years after we'd purchased our "new" old boat (because we couldn't bare to part with her any sooner), my then 10 year old daughter stood on the sea-wall with us and cried inconsoleably and my wife and I both had tears in our eyes when she left us.

Unfortuantely, the fellow that bought her did so on a whim and promply lost interest. Over the next two years she sat all but unattended in a near-by Marina, slowly moldering away--canvas rotting in the sun, and once glistening varnish cracked and pealing. The fellow had so little interest in her, that when hurricane warnings were posted, he didn't bother to remove her sails or brail her main, or even add extra lines. When one broke at the height of a storm, her bow pounded itself on a nearby piling, bending her bow-pulpit, smashing up her hull-to-deck joint near the bows and even breaking off part of the crown of her anchor. It was heart-breaking to watch what had been such a great, reliable, old boat--in near perfect condition--laid waste.

Fortunately, we learned recently that she was finally rescued by someone that cares for her as much as we did and that he restored her and shipped her back to California--to the San Francisco Bay area--where she again thrives on Pacific water.

s/v HyLyte

[David M]

I still wish I had my Hobie 18 from 25 years ago, especially with my son being a teenager now. I had more fun on that boat blasting around the SF Bay and inland reservoirs. I need to get a small sailboat of some sort..larger than a Laser, drier and warmer than a Hobie.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha David,
West Wight Potters are great little boats and are plentiful in SF.
John

[anotherT34C]

Selling my boat for money seems so disrespectful. When the time comes, I'll probably give her away to someone who'll appreciate her.

[David M]

Originally Posted by anotherT34C

Selling my boat for money seems so disrespectful. When the time comes, I'll probably give her away to someone who'll appreciate her.

Hmmm....does it happen to be a Gunboat?

Another alternative would be to donate it to a charitable organization such as the Sea Scouts. I was a Sea Scout, so I'm a little biased.

[David M]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aloha David,
West Wight Potters are great little boats and are plentiful in SF.
John

Thanks John. Sounds like a nice idea for a boat to go putting around the Bay on.

[Aquah0lic]

AnotherT34C, I would like to officially enter my name on the give it away list