Grieving

[Tayana42]

Yes, grieving. It is a loss. After 54 years of sailing together and 23 years of owning this wonderful Tayana 42, my wife and I have sold our beloved boat B’Shert. Due to a variety of health issues we have accepted that our cruise has come to an end. But we are overjoyed for the wonderful young couple who just bought this boat in order to go on their own adventures. Perhaps they will introduce themselves to this community soon.

Over the years we owned a variety of boats and sailed the east coast of the USA from Long Island Sound to the Florida Keys, inland lakes and desert canyon reservoirs.

We moved to California and bought our lovely Tayana 42. We did an off shore purchase and had to leap aboard 3.5 miles offshore documenting everything before taking her to Ensenada for 3 months. She carried us all over Southern California and northernmost Mexico. Santa Catalina Island became our island. Santa Barbara, Ventura, Channel Islands, Paradise Cove, Marina del Ray, Long Beach, San Pedro, Two Harbors, Avalon, Cat Harbor, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Oceanside, Mission Bay, San Diego, Glorietta Bay, and Chula Vista became our backyard.

We fitted and refitted, changed parts and cleaned. Our grand children grew up with this boat, having adventures, seeing dolphins and whales and bioluminescence and getting seasick and sending off messages in bottles, and celebrating birthdays and holidays on board. They had plenty of firsts on this boat. There was the first time they jumped off the deck into the ocean and swam around the anchored boat, first snorkeling adventure and first time driving the dinghy by themselves. Perhaps most excited was when they were the first to spot a whale. They learned about bobtailed squid, vellela-vellela, spider stars, anemones, paper nautilus. They learned to feel the heave and lift of the swells like the breath and heart beat of the world.

We went through three dinghies, two outboards, various sets of paddle boards and kayaks. We dropped keys overboard. We rescued other people from other boats three times. We had a blue whale surface so close to the side of the boat that I could look down into it’s huge blow hole. We met other sailors who became long lasting friends. In short we had lots of adventures.

Cruisers Forum has been a terrific community for me. I read everything and asked some stupid questions about systems that were new to me. Forum members always answered with the information I needed, usually with patience and good cheer. The many serious, long term members who make this site so wonderful eventually felt like friends to me. I hope I contributed a little also to newer less experienced sailors. I’ll still follow this forum. I can’t yet imagine life without sailing.

[Don C L]

I can certainly understand. With the same backyard and similar amazing experiences with my family with the local wildlife, I dread the day I won't be able to get out there. I am sure you have many more great stories and your knowledge is very valuable here so I hope you will stick around and keep chiming in to the forum! I for one would love to trade notes with you about the islands at least!
Don't be a stranger!

[robert sailor]

Life is full of different chapters, sounds like you just finished a wonderful one…there are more coming.

[boatman61]

Bumma mate.. still now you can pass on some of your accumulated knowledge to 'wannabes' who come in your wake.. and reflect while doing so on the highs and lows of past years and hopefully..

Best wishes for the next leg..

[danstanford]

Thanks for sharing how you are feeling, it made me smile in an empathetic way.

Please don't be a stranger, I think there are lots of folks contributing/lurking without boats.
Dan

[poopship]

Wow, sounds like some great experiences and a fitting eulogy. On to your next adventure!

[senormechanico]

Same here.

Perfect boat for us. Lots of trips to Desolation Sound after 4 years of Mexico cruising.
Wife now is suffering from dimensia and doesn't know who I am.
Boat sits at the dock in our back yard.

[Montanan]

“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes part of us”

– Helen Keller

[CaptTom]

Wow, sad day indeed. Still, probably a smart move. Better to have the memories than lose them trying to push beyond your limits. Best wishes wherever life leads you from here!

That said, I want to point out that those who talk about "the two happiest days" of boat ownership aren't real boaters. If you're not sad when you sell a boat, you probably shouldn't have owned it in the first place.

[JPA Cate]

A moving letter, Tayana 42, and good on you for sharing this, too. I felt particularly moved by the grandchildren and the boat-centered experiences, perhaps because my own path was to the South Seas, and away from them.

You'll be welcome here on CF, boatless. Stay as long as it feels worthwhile. Good health and all the best to you and your good lady for the future.

Ann

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I can certainly understand. With the same backyard and similar amazing experiences with my family with the local wildlife, I dread the day I won't be able to get out there. I am sure you have many more great stories and your knowledge is very valuable here so I hope you will stick around and keep chiming in to the forum! I for one would love to trade notes with you about the islands at least!

Don't be a stranger!

Don, thank you. We certainly do have a wonderful backyard.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

Life is full of different chapters, sounds like you just finished a wonderful one…there are more coming.

Yes, Here’s to new, next chapters.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Bumma mate.. still now you can pass on some of your accumulated knowledge to 'wannabes' who come in your wake.. and reflect while doing so on the highs and lows of past years and hopefully..



Best wishes for the next leg..

Boaty, I’ve always appreciated your sharing your knowledge and experience. Yes, highs and lows like tides and swells.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by danstanford

Thanks for sharing how you are feeling, it made me smile in an empathetic way.

Please don't be a stranger, I think there are lots of folks contributing/lurking without boats.
Dan

Thanks Dan. I know I’m not the only one to have had big and small adventures onboard. I’ll still follow the forum. It’s part of my DNA now.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by poopship

Wow, sounds like some great experiences and a fitting eulogy. On to your next adventure!

Thanks poopship.