Best Of

After selling my 350 EC last September, it took us a while (and a few surveys) to find what we were looking for. I picked her up in Freeport, Long Island on Monday and made the 9 hour maiden voyage to my home port in Rhode Island.

She’s a 2002 Silverton 410 Sport Bridge. At 35,000 lbs, she is a load, but the CAT diesels pushed her effortlessly.

Even though I sold my Rinker, I still come to this forum every day. And like so many others who have stayed, I plan on remaining part of this family.

Now the fun begins…learning a new boat, crawling in every hole, and finding things that make you say wtf!

After a lovely five weeks living in a "dirt home," we're underway for another year of adventures!

We stayed in the same small waterfront home that we rented before we left last year.  And you know what?  We enjoyed it!  The king-size bed, endless hot showers, real toilet paper ... these are the little things that helped us tolerate life ashore. 

In the shower is where I feel it most ... that feeling boaters get when they go ashore.  The floor is definitely moving, though I know it really isn't.  That feeling went away after about a week of sleeping on land.  I want to get it back.  

Our time here was hectic.  Lots of boat projects and maintenance, as I've already shared.  Lots of medical appointments, because LaRea's crew also needs routine maintenance.  Lots of visiting with our neighborhood friends, and especially our long-time boating buddies!  

Back in the day, most of us had "express cruiser" boats made for overnighting and weekending -- which we did often.  On any given Sunday morning, you'd likely find us waking up with the boats all tied together, anchored after a long Saturday of floating, music, eating and drinking.  These "raft-ups" took place mostly at Gunston Cove, just a quick four miles from home.  Fun times!  

When Diane and I moved up to a motor yacht, most of our friends did the opposite.  They downsized to center-console boats and ski boats, and they love them!  Over the past couple of weeks, they treated us to boat rides when our yacht was landlocked by the Potomac River's shallow water at low tide.  It was refreshing and great fun.  They don't care when the next low tide will happen, because their boats can go out any time.  So easy, so carefree.  

We've known most of those friends for decades.  For them, I suppose it felt like we went away for a year, then returned home.  To us, it felt different.  Now the boat is home, and we were only visiting our old stomping grounds.  Today we're home again -- back on the water.  Sorry to be leaving, but so very happy to be underway!  

I added an ugly cat  to my radar dome today. Owls ain’t cutting it anymore. Seagulls are getting smarter around here. I’m tired of daily shitzkriegs on my canvas. 

Kids taking us to dinner tonight. My 15 year old at the helm