Not the second happiest day.....

bmac

bmac

Well-Known Member
Jan 11, 2008
1,845
Holbrook, NY
Boat Info
2006 58 Sedan Bridge, Walker Bay Generation 390 RIB w/40hp Yamaha, 2014 Wellcraft 232 CC w/Yamaha
Engines
MAN 900 CRM
The old boaters saying goes something like "the happiest two days in a boat owners life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it." I can admit to feeling that way in my boat transactions up until now, but it was always because I had already picked out (and once, already purchased) my next boat. After almost 20 years of continuous Sea Ray ownership, spanning 5 different boats (320DA, 40DA, 44DB, 52DB and 58DB) I'm no longer a Sea Ray owner and, quite frankly the sale of my 58 earlier this week is definitely not the second happiest day in this boat owners life. My wife actually cried Monday after I told her we had closed. We did not HAVE to sell the boat, actually finances had nothing to do with the decision, but for a number of instinctual feelings now seemed like the time was right. I honestly don't know what our boating future looks like for us. We still have a 23' center console to run around the bay in, but that hasn't really been boating for us. That was more transportation to wherever the big boat was. We typically spend upwards of 90 nights a year onboard which is pretty substantial given the Northeast's abbreviated season. So, without another big boat I will have a LOT of free time on my hands. We may take a year off from boating, we may decide in the spring to go bigger, we may decide to downsize (though my wife has said the 58 was the perfect size boat for the two of us, so I think smaller is unlikely). If we take the year off I will likely rejoin the Country Club set and see if I can get back to the 8 handicap I used to carry. One thing is certain, I won't miss some of the maintenance activities but I will definitely miss the boating lifestyle and the camaraderie that goes with it. Boaters are some of the best people on the planet. In particular, I'll miss the support of this great CSR forum and its members.

I've boated my entire life. As Jimmy Buffet sang "I'm the son of a son of a sailor" so it's in my blood. I'm a USCG licensed Merchant Mariner, Engineering Officer - Steam and Motor, Unlimited Horsepower, Unlimited Ocean. I've crossed the Atlantic quite a few times but won't be looking to merchant shipboard life to get my salt air fix.....I have a feeling I'll be back in a big or bigger boat sooner, rather than later (I was surfing boat porn last night on Yachtworld!!!). But until I make the decision to get back in, I'll be a little sad when I think of all the great times I've had boating. To all of you on CSR, may you have fair winds and following seas. For now, I'm FWE....
 
Well Brian, I know exactly how you feel - we went the condo route in south fla (where we had been boating) and while I'll likely end up with a CC to run around in (looking at a Dusky), I know I'll miss the cruiser for overnight trips to the keys and bahamas (already do). Its like I've lost part of my identity...I also get what you're saying about maintenance - it was amazing how much more time and money I had after selling the boat.
 
Last edited:
IMG_2588.JPG
bmac said:
The old boaters saying goes something like "the happiest two days in a boat owners life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it." I can admit to feeling that way in my boat transactions up until now, but it was always because I had already picked out (and once, already purchased) my next boat. After almost 20 years of continuous Sea Ray ownership, spanning 5 different boats (320DA, 40DA, 44DB, 52DB and 58DB) I'm no longer a Sea Ray owner and, quite frankly the sale of my 58 earlier this week is definitely not the second happiest day in this boat owners life. My wife actually cried Monday after I told her we had closed. We did not HAVE to sell the boat, actually finances had nothing to do with the decision, but for a number of instinctual feelings now seemed like the time was right. I honestly don't know what our boating future looks like for us. We still have a 23' center console to run around the bay in, but that hasn't really been boating for us. That was more transportation to wherever the big boat was. We typically spend upwards of 90 nights a year onboard which is pretty substantial given the Northeast's abbreviated season. So, without another big boat I will have a LOT of free time on my hands. We may take a year off from boating, we may decide in the spring to go bigger, we may decide to downsize (though my wife has said the 58 was the perfect size boat for the two of us, so I think smaller is unlikely). If we take the year off I will likely rejoin the Country Club set and see if I can get back to the 8 handicap I used to carry. One thing is certain, I won't miss some of the maintenance activities but I will definitely miss the boating lifestyle and the camaraderie that goes with it. Boaters are some of the best people on the planet. In particular, I'll miss the support of this great CSR forum and its members.

I've boated my entire life. As Jimmy Buffet sang "I'm the son of a son of a sailor" so it's in my blood. I'm a USCG licensed Merchant Mariner, Engineering Officer - Steam and Motor, Unlimited Horsepower, Unlimited Ocean. I've crossed the Atlantic quite a few times but won't be looking to merchant shipboard life to get my salt air fix.....I have a feeling I'll be back in a big or bigger boat sooner, rather than later (I was surfing boat porn last night on Yachtworld!!!). But until I make the decision to get back in, I'll be a little sad when I think of all the great times I've had boating. To all of you on CSR, may you have fair winds and following seas. For now, I'm FWE....
Click to expand...
Buy a Porsche and explore the back roads of New England, a beautiful part of the country. After boat ownership they seem cheap by comparison. You will feel like you got a raise.
 
bmac said:
The old boaters saying goes something like "the happiest two days in a boat owners life is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it." I can admit to feeling that way in my boat transactions up until now, but it was always because I had already picked out (and once, already purchased) my next boat. After almost 20 years of continuous Sea Ray ownership, spanning 5 different boats (320DA, 40DA, 44DB, 52DB and 58DB) I'm no longer a Sea Ray owner and, quite frankly the sale of my 58 earlier this week is definitely not the second happiest day in this boat owners life. My wife actually cried Monday after I told her we had closed. We did not HAVE to sell the boat, actually finances had nothing to do with the decision, but for a number of instinctual feelings now seemed like the time was right. I honestly don't know what our boating future looks like for us. We still have a 23' center console to run around the bay in, but that hasn't really been boating for us. That was more transportation to wherever the big boat was. We typically spend upwards of 90 nights a year onboard which is pretty substantial given the Northeast's abbreviated season. So, without another big boat I will have a LOT of free time on my hands. We may take a year off from boating, we may decide in the spring to go bigger, we may decide to downsize (though my wife has said the 58 was the perfect size boat for the two of us, so I think smaller is unlikely). If we take the year off I will likely rejoin the Country Club set and see if I can get back to the 8 handicap I used to carry. One thing is certain, I won't miss some of the maintenance activities but I will definitely miss the boating lifestyle and the camaraderie that goes with it. Boaters are some of the best people on the planet. In particular, I'll miss the support of this great CSR forum and its members.

I've boated my entire life. As Jimmy Buffet sang "I'm the son of a son of a sailor" so it's in my blood. I'm a USCG licensed Merchant Mariner, Engineering Officer - Steam and Motor, Unlimited Horsepower, Unlimited Ocean. I've crossed the Atlantic quite a few times but won't be looking to merchant shipboard life to get my salt air fix.....I have a feeling I'll be back in a big or bigger boat sooner, rather than later (I was surfing boat porn last night on Yachtworld!!!). But until I make the decision to get back in, I'll be a little sad when I think of all the great times I've had boating. To all of you on CSR, may you have fair winds and following seas. For now, I'm FWE....
Click to expand...
Holbrook?
We dock in Blue Point.
While we don’t have anywhere near the accommodations that you are accustomed to on a 58DB, you can hop a ride to Fire Island with us any day!
 
Congratulations Brian!!
 
We're sitting on the fence of joining you soon. I completely see how ididntdoit feels. I've had progressively bigger boats for 30+ years but now with the condo purchase I'm considering moving down to something more nimble and sea worthy for the coast.

But I LOVE my boat...... And I know if I get rid of it and decide the condo thing isn't what we hoped I'll be hard-pressed to replace it with one as nice.

BMac, stay in touch and share with us your life big boat less. You're blazing a trail for several of us.
 
I'm right there with you too Brian. Today is my wife's birthday and other than preparing her favorite meal at home ( chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes) I announced to her that the boat just closed:(. I have been spending this week moving our personal gear off the boat and cleaning as I go for the great couple about to embark on their first big boat experience. Definitely bitter sweet for sure as we know what we want in our next boat we just have no idea when the right boat will present itself. I really want to wait for the right boat to come up locally and preferably when this seller's market cools off a bit. I am keeping my $ 600/mo slip because space in decent marinas in NorCal is precious. The 44DB was our 5th boat in 25 years so we I think we will be able to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. Here is wishing you the best in your quest for what works for you. I have often thought that it would not be the end of the world if we found something else to do with our time other than boating. We have already done the airplane thing, the RV thing, the Race Car thing, the wine collecting thing, the condo in Maui thing and the world travel thing. The one thing we have not done is the blue water coastal cruising thing so that will probably end up being our next thing.
Cheers
Carpe Deim
 
Sad to hear, but I can envision being boatless at some point in the next few years too. The older I get. The harder the maintenance becomes. I’ve thought about regrouping and downsizing to a center console in a few years.
 
Carpediem44DB said:
I'm right there with you too Brian. Today is my wife's birthday and other than preparing her favorite meal at home ( chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes) I announced to her that the boat just closed:(. I have been spending this week moving our personal gear off the boat and cleaning as I go for the great couple about to embark on their first big boat experience. Definitely bitter sweet for sure as we know what we want in our next boat we just have no idea when the right boat will present itself. I really want to wait for the right boat to come up locally and preferably when this seller's market cools off a bit. I am keeping my $ 600/mo slip because space in decent marinas in NorCal is precious. The 44DB was our 5th boat in 25 years so we I think we will be able to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. Here is wishing you the best in your quest for what works for you. I have often thought that it would not be the end of the world if we found something else to do with our time other than boating. We have already done the airplane thing, the RV thing, the Race Car thing, the wine collecting thing, the condo in Maui thing and the world travel thing. The one thing we have not done is the blue water coastal cruising thing so that will probably end up being our next thing.
Cheers
Carpe Deim
Click to expand...
( chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes)
I feel the need for a Cracker Barrel trip coming on!
$600 a month! holy crap, i paid a little over that for the whole year!!! LOVE the Chesapeake.
 
JVM225 said:
Sad to hear, but I can envision being boatless at some point in the next few years too. The older I get. The harder the maintenance becomes. I’ve thought about regrouping and downsizing to a center console in a few years.
Click to expand...
We got out of boating because of the maint about 8 - 9 years ago. but now the kids are gone, the house is paid off, and this year i am paying someone to winterize the engine, service the outdrive and fix the list of repairs i want done. I couldnt handle having another boat at this point if i couldnt pay someone else to do it. Just last weekend i was climbing out of engine compartment, wrenched my back and spent most of the weekend in bed.
 
I think when you're younger the passion and excitement of boating outweighs the pain of the maintenance and upkeep. As the years go by and you've pretty much done what you can for where you are you begin to feel the load of maintaining a boat with multiple heads, engines, generators, water heaters, etc. etc. and don't get the same sense of satisfaction from doing it as maybe you once did. Very similar to owning a bigger house. There's just always something to fix, maintain or improve.

I think at 61 I'm standing right there with the OP. I want to explore more and maintain less and that's why both the boat and house are probably not long of this world for us.
 
To all my fellow gettin-older boaters, there is an alternative. Get rid of the monster yachts (blasphemy!) and get something smaller that requires a lot less maintenance with less stuff that breaks and you too can keep boating.
 
Congrats on the next chapter of life.

The love of salt water doesn't go away, look forward to hearing what the next "boating" step turns out to be. Hopefully you hang around this forum and keep us posted on both your handicap progression and next boat step turns out to be.

Thanks for all your help over the years.

Mark
 
Thank you for the post bmac. Not sure if I should congratulate you or say I’m sorry, so I’ll wish you well.

If it’s any consolation, what I’ve seen from friends who are avid boaters is they say after a sale, that they will probably sit out a year or so. Then when Spring comes around they get the itch and typically have a new one by the Summer. One of my friends on the S.Shore in WI has done this twice.
 
I called a broker the other day to list my boat. He was going to come out the next day and take a look and talk. That night I didn't sleep well on the boat and just in turmoil. That morning I called him back and canceled. Told him I was sorry and didn't want to waste his time and I just wasn't ready to sell it.
I know the feeling.
 
I'm another who was very sad when we dropped Beachcomber off at Union Marine in Seattle but it was time for her to go. I almost cried when we pulled away from the dock.

We're at a point in our lives when change had to be made. I'm 73 and just finished a round of chemo treatments for stage 4 cancer and my wife is 65 and struggles with balance issues. Her days of going out on the side walkway to handle dock lines is over, and at my age it is getting harder to crawl down into the engine room to do stuff.

Our next venture will be a Class A diesel pusher motorhome. I have some experience with them, albeit limited, but I do have some ideas about size, layout, etc. Part of the fun will be looking here in the PNW and around the Phoenix area where we have a condo.

Just another twist and turn in our lives. Brian, I can relate to many of your comments and share your emotions.
 
Brian, good luck with your search for the next boat. I can’t imagine being boatless but I am sure there will be a next boat for me someday as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,162
Messages
1,427,548
Members
61,070
Latest member
Justrite
Back
Top