Your Mom and I were cruising up Interstate 41 Sunday when a Suburban SUV passed us pulling a very large boat. It was a new cabin cruiser at least 28-30 feet long. I was traveling at 71 mph and the trophy boat flew by at around 80 mph. Owning a cruiser can be very special.
Our neighbor at Crystal Lake (Lance) years ago decided he would transition from small lake living to having a "cruiser" on Lake Michigan. He was going to dock it near Sturgeon Bay. He bought the boat in Chicago and he decided to cruise his new dream boat up the Lake Michigan shoreline over a weekend. A huge storm came up and tossed him and his buddies around almost capsizing the boat. He decided by the time he got to Sturgeon Bay that Lake Michigan wasn't for him. He sold the boat.
Then there was Dave who had a condo in Door County. He was lured into buying a boat to cruise the Bay of Green Bay. He bought the boat and celebrated by inviting friends to Sister Bay to join him on an initial cruise. Dave could not swim. As his guests arrived at the boat dock, Dave untied the mooring. He lost his balance and fell between the boat and the dock. He had to be rescued from drowing. He sold the boat.
Don from Green Bay always wanted to be Captain of his own boat. He bought a large cruiser. It was about 32 feet long with a captain's bridge. He had arranged to dock it in Green Bay at a local Sailing Club. He read up on the boat, took his place at the captain's wheel and drove the boat out into the Bay. Upon returning, conditions were choppy and he had to dock the boat. He smashed part of his pier trying to dock. An expert "boater" had to be ferried out to Don's boat to perform the docking function. The whole Sailing Club came out to watch. Don didn't drive his boat for the rest of the Summer. Yep, he sold it.
So you see you aspiring Captains, boats aren't always as glamorous as they seem. But if your goal is to be Captain of your own ship, go for it.
The lesson Grasshoppers is dreams aren't always what they seem to be.
Love,
Dad