SAILOR BOB

This is me sailing. I'm on the left without a hat.

Wifey was riding in a friend's ski boat and snapped this picture.


Pretty bitchin', don't ya think?

I ran across this picture during the process of sorting through boxes and boxes of photos. It was taken two sailboats ago.

There's fond memories of this boat, a Hobie Cat 16 as I learned to sail on it. Hobie Cats are very unforgiving. They'll flip or capsize in a heartbeat. If you don't know what you're doing it's likely that all of your time on the water will be spent righting the boat.

Bob had more than his share of flipping and capsizing in his first year of sailing. After that sailing was pretty much like this . . . one hull in the air and the other in the water with only the sound of the boat cutting through the water and the sound of the wind in the sails. There's nothing like it.

Well, there's something else that could be described as being "nothing like it." Honestly, whenever I've been sailing with male friends there has always been and I mean always a ski boat that comes very close to my boat. When the ski boat is just close enough the ladies on board it "flash" us. If I had a buck for every naked butt and bare boobies that's been flashed in my direction while sailing I'd be a very rich man. Yes, that's another thing I just love about sailing.

The guys on board would respond by saying, "You see that? Did you see that?" I would laugh and say, "That's nothing. You should have seen the ladies that flashed me last week. Whoooo Hoooo!"

I've always compared the art of sailing to that of operating a ski boat to that of screwing and making love. Anyone can screw. Making love requires patience, skills, some degree of intelligence and finesse.

We've been without a sailboat for a while now all due to a rigorous work schedule that made recreation nearly impossible. Now that things have eased considerably in that area it's time for another craft.

Searching for a good used boat has been difficult. There are lots of sailboats out there but they're either badly worn or in need if repair. So buy a new one, as son Max suggests? In this economy logic dictates that purchasing a new boat for $40,000 (Catalina or Hunter 25) is not a good decision. The business side of me that is always sitting on my shoulder says "not a good thing" when the idea of a new boat comes up.

I'm optimistic that the right used sailboat will come along and I'm going to continue to look throughout California, Oregon and Washington for it. To demonstrate my optimism that there is a boat that will soon be purchased you should know that I'm in line (last check 2 weeks ago no. 25 and looking good) for a slip at a lake that's 15 minutes from the house. Having a boat in the water 24/7 will make it easy to sail anytime.

Ever see the bumper stick that says, "I'd Rather Be Sailing". If you see a one ton blue truck with that on it please honk and wave That would be Bob driving to another lake or bay to sail his new boat.