Alli and I went out for a sail on this windy Sunday and as we got closer and closer to the Robert Moses bridge, I couldn't take my eyes off of a stout little vessel coming from the other direction: it was just so hearty and hale, with its port rail nearly in the water and all its sails up and out while other boats around it were reefed, or sailing with just jibs. And as it got closer I could hardly believe my eyes!It was my old good old boat Persuasion (a South Coast 23)! I recognized it as soon as I saw it, but when I saw the distinctive SC logo and its classy two digit sail number I almost fell over.
Hundreds of questions gusted into my head! What was it doing down here? How was it? Who had it? Where was it going? Last I heard of the boat -
No, wait, let me start at the beginning: A few years ago I got a call from Uncle Larry who asked to my disbelieving ear if I wanted to have his sister Paul's sailboat. I could have kissed him. And her. I immediately said "YES, of course, yes!" Paula was moving, Larry and family already had the beautiful Loon, and I loved that little boat so much!
I went to boat-owner school with that boat: replacing the toerails all the way around; fixing/fiberglassing/rebuilding a block that one of the shrouds connected to; replacing the coamings; replacing the handrails, and rebuilding the head; and fixing the missing rudder gudgeon with an overpriced hunk of stainless steel.
And I would still have that gorgeous little boat if it weren't for my brother Lucas who called one day to tell me that Uncle Jack's old good old boat, my beloved Redwing was on Craig's List.
We sailed on with all of these questions lingering. Last I saw the boat it was headed to Sayville with a guy named Joe whose wife and two little kids were going to sail it like crazy.
And then driving home from work the other day I see the boat docked in the village slips by Argyle Lake! It's back in Babylon!
