I had planned to just let the occasion of selling the AfterSail pass without any fanfare. That's why I let it out with one simple reference on a post. But the response has been so overwhelming that I feel compelled to make a comment or two. We had the AfterSail for eleven years, almost to the day. The ownership change took place on the day before our insurance terminated. The buyer came to the AfterSail the third day after it went on the market and bought her. We have done a lot to her and in her. She has taken us safely and in comfort where we directed when we directed. We have loved her and she has taught us a lot about life on the water and a lot about ourselves. She is a gallant lady who glides through the water with ease and grace and protects all inside her like a mother protects her unborn children. She survived the ravages of being rammed by a vessel blown loose in a hurricane. That runaway vessel took out both her stern piles and she was driven, bow first, into the dock in 100- knot winds for six hours holding, not only herself against the dock, but the boat on her port, the boat on her starboard, and a broken tee-dock. She would not sink. She was AFTERSAIL. We talk about where she took us -- about teak decks -- about Imron paint -- about diesel engines -- about fuel polishing systems -- about bypass oil filters -- about adjustable anchors, and such things. But the important things are the people -- the friends we met and keep. While the memories of the places will never die, the friendships are forever. My friends, so is it with this Trawler World List. It isn't the technical issues or cruising tales that are important. It is the friendship we have been given by the association we enjoy. It is me not wanting to burden you with this event. But even more it is you wanting to tell me you know how it is. I thank you for your thoughts and I thank God for all of you. I hope you thank Him for the rest of us too. Very briefly, some non-life threatening heath conditions came to pass with my Admiral. Those signs told me the time had come -- that we could get out while still on top or our game -- that if we did it on our schedule, we can still do most everything else we want to do. I must tell you that it was my decision alone -- my Admiral almost divorced me when I made the announcement to her. There was never really any question. You see, I don't ever want to do anything of significance without her. You should know that, unless God calls us home before, everyone will come to the day when they must talk about what they did and not what they are doing or are going to do. I encourage you to DO IT NOW if you can. Don't wait for conditions to get better. You'll have a long time to talk about the memories, but do it now to create those memories. I'll not being testing anchors anymore, but I still have a diesel engine to play with and it has much in common with boat diesels and much to discover and write about. We will do a lot in our RV and the RV life has many similarities to the Trawler life. I still know a thing or two about compensating compasses, how to dock a single screw boat, etc. I'll share what I know and learn in my "Works in progress projects." I'll try to learn from you some of the things I don't know. Just to demonstrate how close I still am to Trawlers, I got a call today to do the engineering for a fuel polishing system on a boat that has been laid up for a long time and the fuel tanks are awful. That has sounds of a rabbit and a brier patch. They even want to pay me. You can never know how precious your interest and messages have been. God bless you, God Speed, and stay in touch. CaptnWil, Ret 40 Pier Pointe New Bern NC 29562 (252) 636-3601 captnwil@coastalnet.com

Capn Wil: >Fromone who has never met you, but who has benefitted greatly from your wisdom for the past year, thanks, and good fortune in all your endeavors. Russ Wil Andrews wrote: > > I had planned to just let the occasion of selling the AfterSail pass without > any fanfare. -- |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Russ and Donna Sherwin | | "Four Seasons" | | 1981 Marine Trader DC44 | | Sunnyvale, Ca 94087 | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|