By Terence Smith
Like many old sayings, the old one about boat-owning is more true than not. “The two happiest days in a boat-owner’s life are the day he buys the boat…and the day he sells her.”
I’ve experienced both, more than once, but it was bittersweet the other day when I parted with Winsome, my Canadian Sailcraft 40, a lovely, blue-hulled sloop, and turned her over to new owners. At age 35, Winsome is certainly not shiny or new, but she still sails like a dream and is a cozy, comfortable berth at anchor overnight.
I sailed her for 25 years: racing in 2000 from Annapolis-to-Bermuda, cruising her to New England three summers, and more recently, day-sailing and cruising the Chesapeake Bay. Great times, great memories.
But, the second half of the cliche is still true: it is a relief not to have to care for Winsome when the Bay begins to ice-over or when things go wrong, as they do. A thin crust of ice appeared in Annapolis waters over Christmas this week: not my problem.
But: when spring arrives and a fresh breeze ruffles the water, how will I feel then? Not so great, I suspect. The solution, then, is another cliche: “OPB’s,” or other people’s boats. Surely they’ll need crew, right?