Texan wrote in
:

Having lived aboard and worked on boats for years this is what I see:
Those who can afford the big boats tend to be so busy making the money
needed that they don't have the time to use the big boats.
I don't know how many times I have been called on a weekend by a big
boat owner angry that his engines wouldn't start after being neglected
for 6 months.


This is an excellent point and any boat owner in this state reading this
would do well to befriend someone like me, who lives near the marina, to
keep the boat in first class condition in his absence. We work for passage
and peanuts. I take care of 4 of them...3 sail and a trawler at the
moment.

Those on the other side, like me who cannot afford a $100,000 yacht, need
to feed the targets of this Texan's posts, in a very appropriate manner.
You need to befriend that guy cursing his boat and help him keep it up.
Not everyone on the dock needs to be a pseudo-captain paying through the
nose, you know. Once cultivated, you find you have many friends with
really nice yachts like Lionheart, Cap'n Geoffrey's Amel Sharki ketch. For
your spare time, some simple labor and just being a nice guy....you get to
sail/power the boat of your dreams, locally and to vacation ports at nearly
no expense to you. These affluent boaters are used to "paying" for
everything they have. It does take them a little while to stop trying to
shove money into your hand for putting in that new bilge pump or simply
watching out for their interest nosing around while the engine guys are
working on the engine. I will, occasionally, allow them to give me a
little money to defray my fuel costs traveling around. I'll always let
them buy me a meal. When asked what I want for all this work, my answer is
very simple..."Just take me with you." Being ALWAYS short-handed because
their big wallets let them buy a bigger boat than they have crew to handle,
you'll be most welcome...especially if you socialize as well as you clean
seawater strainers.

Once aboard, it's politically correct and most beneficial, if, after you've
gone out sailing all day with the owner and his guests, you hang around
after the guests leave and clean the boat! "You go on with them and have a
nice dinner.", I'll say to my captain, "I'm going to tidy up here a bit and
make all the lines and cables fast before I leave." Instead of him having
to stay behind to tend to his boat....he's walking with his guests down the
dock and I'm taking care of the boat I wish I could afford and love to
play with.

Tomorrow, I'm going to wash Lionheart's towel pile left on the deck from
his grandson and friends using Lionheart for a condo during Spoleto. Geez,
while he's off playing on megayacht Mystic between Azores and Gibraltar,
tonight, someone left me this brand new 155 genoa on the deck!...(c; After
I got his boat the way I like to have it, I stayed until dusk sipping
Boddington's Ale listening to his XM satellite radio with the other boaters
on the dock....Life is good!

Lionheart's 4-108 cranked right up, tonight, and I ran it for 20 minutes
until it warmed up good. If it hadn't, I would have fixed it while he's
off working or playing. It's my motor, too!

I don't need to own a yacht. I have 4 of them!

--
Larry