end of an era, redux?

[ilanarama]

Just got home from a week-long backpack trip in Utah to see this email from our yacht broker:

Enjoyed reading your articles in Cruising World. Would you mind
if we referenced those articles with a link from our web site? Just for
your info your boat is back on the market. The young man that bought her
got into some heavy weather off of Fl, limped into Ft Lauderdale and called
me to sell the boat. He told me the waves were 30' high and the boat saved
his life. He admitted he just did not have the know how or the desire to
learn. I had recommended a professional Capt, but he fired him before the
first lesson and just took off. I'm just glad he did not get hurt. I'm
sending a captain to pick her up next week and bring her back to Beaufort.

Aie! My poor boat! What has he done to you? *cries*

So much for our vision of Windom being bought by some nice family who would go circumnavigate and keep a lavishly-illustrated blog that would let us vicariously cruise for a change. Sigh.

Comments

[aubrem.livejournal.com]

O.o

My reaction is torn between - how can you let her go - go buy her back! And ... 30 ft waves??? Omg! I wouldn't go out on the water with anyone less than Jack Aubrey in charge. 30 ft waves???

[tofty.livejournal.com]

Man, anyone who takes a boat out on the open water during a storm without experience deserves what he gets. And your boat deserves better than that person; it wouldn't have survived long, methinks, in his possession.

And it's good to see you back, all alive and everything! :O

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

I know! I am so tempted...but aie, we just don't want to own a boat right now.

And honestly, only an idiot or a professional in a very large boat (read: is required to be out there) would go out in 30 foot waves. That's just stupid. I want to grab the guy and shake him hard!

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

I totally agree! Hell, anyone with experience would have known better than to take a boat out in those conditions. That's just mindbogglingly stupid.

I just hope my poor ex-boat isn't too trashed, because it does deserve better, and I want it to get it! I'm almost upset at the broker for selling the boat to him, you know? Because, shouldn't he have talked the guy out of his big ideas and steered him to something more reasonable? Maybe?

[delurker.livejournal.com]

I had recommended a professional Capt, but he fired him before the
first lesson and just took off.
Wow, that's quite some stupidity!

On the upside, now that Windom's for sale again, there's still hope for purchase by a nice family.

[(Anonymous)]

Bummer to hear Windom's back on the market, but I'm glad he survived his apparent lapse of judgement.

I wonder if the 30' waves are a product of mental magnification on his part? Them's some mighty big waves, otherwise. Yikes!

Eric W.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

I know! I have my fingers crossed.

[ilanarama.livejournal.com]

I am just hoping WINDOM survived in good shape! And yeah, I have a hard time believing the 30'. Although I certainly have seen that figure on the wind/wave forecasts.

(and HONESTLY, if they were 30'? WTF was he doing out there?)

And ps, Eric, in case you're refreshing this and not my main journal - I just posted a backpacking report and lotsa pictures.