Enjoy-The-Ride.com

This log details the adventures of the Julian family on our boat, Enjoy-The-Ride.com

On March 13, 2000 our family discovered a little 26' 1970 American Marine Sabre V2600 that was in such good shape, we couldn't pass it up. 

For three years, the former owner's wife was dying. This 85 year old man displaced his pain during those years by pouring as much passion as he needed to into restoring this boat in his garage. Alas, his wife did not make it. This courageous widower re-married a little minx in her 40's who, much to his dismay, did not like the water. After their long hard battle with cancer, he was needing money desperately so, with his wife's support, he decided to sell his boat that contained so many hours of painful memories. When we happened upon this boat, we had no inkling of desire to own a wooden hulled boat. We were operating on a shoestring budget and had been shopping for a boat for many months when, on a whim, we went up to La Conner, Washington to see why it's a popular tourist town. As has been my habit, we stopped at the Marina to look at boats. The man at the brokerage told me that he had no boats that would suit my needs, but to check with Penmar Marine out on Highway 20. Jack, the salesman at Penmar, was the kind of salesman I like. Not at all pushy, and willing to just show us the boats we asked about. He did not even try to show us what soon would be our boat. It was listed on the white board in his office however, and after my wife mentioned it, my son, a gregarious 6 year old, just had to go look at it. I was in no hurry to go anywhere, so I relented. As I said, it was a wood hulled boat, so I was already dead set against it, but didn't mind letting my son check it out. When I got onboard this boat, however, I instantly fell in love. This was going to be our boat. I made a low offer, expecting a counter offer. You can imagine my surprise when the salesman called me back a week later telling me that the owner had accepted my offer. I was shocked. We sea-trialed her, and she overheated. A minor inconvenience that is avoidable by not running her at full throttle. I had a survey done, and discovered that she wasn't perfect. But she was repairable within my budget, so I wrote my check.

I've been told by many people that there are 2 days that are the happiest days for a boat owner. The day he buys his boat and the day he sells it. I was not that happy the day I bought my boat. I was expecting near perfection, and was sick to my stomach to think that this beautiful boat was not as perfect as she looked, but with some trepidation I bought it anyway. Every day that we've been on the water has been much happier than that day, and I imagine the day I let her go, it will be with as much trepidation as the day I bought her.

Copyright © 2000 by Joe Julian. All rights reserved.
Revised: 04 Sep 2004 17:34:49 +0100 .