My heart is broken

Wandering Sagebrush

Wandering Sagebrush

Free Range Human
I think I am going to cry. After a couple years of not using my wonderful little Montgomery 15 sailboat, I made the decision to sell her. Sojornen is going to a new home in Salem, Oregon. The first person to look at her said "yes". She's going to be 28 years old this May, and still looks like a million bucks. I am going to miss her terribly.

Sadly yours,

Steve
 
Steve,

You have my condolences. I've been there, and I feel your pain. The last two sailboats I had, I sold because of another boat... Wild Blue. I know I made the right decision, but it was still tough. When it came right down to it, my sweet catboat just wasn't getting used. When I had to choose between going out for an afternoon sail or taking out the C-Dory... well, I made my choice. I hope the family that bought the catboat is getting a lot of good use out of her.

You know what they say about the "two happiest days" for a boat owner? Yeah, I didn't feel that way. I did what was right for the boat and us, and I assume you are doing the same. It doesn't make it any easier, though. :(

On days when the wind is too much or two little, or it's cold or drizzling, it reinforces my decision. But, when the wind is blowing 10-12, the sun is shining, and the waves are small and widely set, I miss the sailboats.

It gets easier.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Steve,

I know exactly how you are feeling. I had my Jeanneau Tonic 23, Spirit, for 18 years and took an extended cruise for two years where I got to know the boat so well that I didn't feel like I was sailing a boat, but I was part of it and we were working as one entity. After buying our camper and property with a cabin, I realized that it was time to sell her, as our interests had changed.

I was able to sell Spirit at a profit, but when the new owner brought a trailer to the yard to take her home, I couldn't watch her being trailered away, so I left before he did. He called me the next spring and asked if I could drive three hours to the inland lake where she was docked to see if he had rigged her correctly. He hadn't figured out the topping lift and had a bungee(!) doing the topping lift's job. He had bent the extruded aluminum toe rail with a ratchet tie-down and the rigging was festooned with pirate flags and all sorts of nylon twirling things. And this was a boat that had taken me safely far south into the Bahamas. He later sent me photos of Spirit under sail, replete with five (count 'em), five fenders hanging on each side.

On a positive note: selling Spirit allowed us to buy Valkyrie, which I can not imagine ever selling and it is now so easy to launch in minutes allows us to use her much more than we could a small sailboat.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
In an effort to atone for a fellow Marine aircraft electrician's failing, last night I "bought" a free Kittiwake 23 on the Patuxent River. As a military retiree I get to take over the slip. My son in DC is in charge of maintaining her and keeping the growth off the bottom so that I can use her a couple of days a year when I am in Washington DC.

Now to find the great deal on a C-Dory or RF 246 for use out her on the west coast.

SGT Bill Uffelman
In Carson City NV until June
 
Terry,

I was absolutely stunned at the response to the add for Sojornen. With this economy, and this time of year, I was prepared to be happy if anyone contacted me. Folks were coming out of the woodwork. I wish you luck in finding your M15. I started looking in '86, and finally found a good one in '91.

Steve
 
Steve, that must hurt real bad. I don't even want to think about it. But then, if the new owners love her the way they should, that's maybe what matters most.
:love
 
Steve said:

"After a couple years of not using my wonderful little Montgomery 15 sailboat, I made the decision to sell her."
Click to expand...

Steve: I still have Pelican, M15-348, and have resisted selling because she was such an integral part of my life during a very important part of it. Hard to think of taking that step, but I really should, as Jim says, "do the right thing." We have about come to that decision, and the quarter is in the air, but we both know that life does move on and our decisions have been made.

Terry, Good luck in your search.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
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