[C38] Note of Thanks

[david at dlrfilms.com]

In the late Summer of 2007 I began looking in earnest for a boat big
enough to stuff my family into, sturdy enough to take us anywhere we might
want to go, and cheap enough for us to buy with cash.

My friend Bob Wise (boatbits.blogspot.com) helped me sort through what was
needful, and we got the shortlist down to about four boats, all about the
same size and cost.

"How do I choose?" said I.

"You'll know," said he.

While ruminating on the shortlist, somehow I can across a listing
"turn-key cruiser". The price was right, the size was right, and there was
something about her that held me (that photo in the header on our website
is from the original listing)

"It's a Catalina 38, Bob. I know she's just a club racer, but..."

"That boat will take you anywhere you want to go."

Maybe two hours after that convo, I joined this email list to find out as
much as I could about the boat before going to see her in person in
Georgia.

When I finally did see her I knew exactly why she spoke to me. I flashed
back on being 13 years old in 1979, sitting in class, day-dreaming and
drawing cartoons of sailboats with ridiculously exaggerated tumblehome
flying big multi-color chutes.

Yesterday we flew a chute on S/V INTEMPERANCE for the first time, that big
red assym I've been so happily bragging about since I got it.

It was *amazing*.

My guests couldn't believe their eyes, and they couldn't believe they were
on a boat with such a huge, sexy sail. Dad was at the tiller, and I could
tell he was captivated, lost in the same wonderful fantasy-land I was in
in math class in 1979.

Except it was real!

This morning I'm thinking about all the amazing adventures we've had on
INTEMPERANCE, and all she's given to us. We've put new bathrooms, and a
new kitchen in our house, she paid for all the gear and plane tickets we
needed for our Caribbean adventure, and now she's letting me get paid to
share what we all love with people.

And I'm also thinking about how generous and supportive this community is.
I know from the occasional outbursts of politics that we come from pretty
diverse points of view about a lot of things, but it really warms my heart
that we have a place we can set that aside and enjoy sharing this thing we
love.

Now I'm off to the auto parts store to see if I can't get my overheating
problem sorted out!

Fair winds and following seas!