I Bought A Boat

Recall I was lamenting the fact I could not find an opportunity to sail other than in/ during my ASA sailing classes?  Well, little did I know that our lake neighbor, Mike, had been bitten by the sailing bug too.  At the same time I was taking sailing classes through ASA, he was taking parallel courses through International Yachtmaster Training.  Mike’s wife, Lee, is from Thailand and they usually visited annually in late fall and early winter.  When they went Mike would carve out a week or two for his sailing classes.  Also, Mike had friends with sailboats on Grand Lake.  Hmmm … Further, one friend, in particular, had a boat for sale!  Hmmm … She (s/v Tontine) is a 1980 Catalina 30.  She has been very well taken care of and loved dearly over the years by her previous owners – Pat being the most current owner.    

Whether it was a finely planned and orchestrated move by Mike and Pat (knowing I was severely bitten by the sailing bug) or coincidence, I was invited out one afternoon for a sail.  Mike and I brought provisions (i.e., beer, summer sausage, cheese and crackers) and we met Pat at Tontine on a pleasant Wednesday afternoon.  It was late May, 2009, and the wind was light and the air warm.  When I boarded Tontine I was surprised at the massive room below.  I soon learned that Catalina 30s had a reputation for being a “big” small cruiser.  In fact, she seemed as big as or bigger than Sea Bella – the 34 foot O’Day that I sailed on in my most recent sailing class.  Before we even left the dock, I was in love and my mind was spinning with rhetorical questions: How much is he asking?  How much is the slip fee?  How much is the insurance?  And, so on. 

The sail was nice as we ghosted about the lake, tacking, gybing and simply enjoying a beautiful day.  As the sun was setting, and after securing Tontine back at her slip, Pat invited me aboard his new boat, a 40 foot Catalina – Tontine II.  She was immaculate and I was intoxicated with the romance of sailing and owning my first sailboat.  On the hour long trip back to Tulsa, I was giddy and could not wait to tell Suzi about Tontine and what a great deal it was, notwithstanding the fact that I didn’t even know the asking price yet.  As you can see, it was a perfect set up as I had a serious case of the “I have to have it” disease.

Well, a short couple of weeks later, after brief negotiations (Pat was in no hurry to sell and knew, by my state of mind, that I was disadvantaged) and a marine survey, I was the proud owner of Tontine.  I decided to keep her right where she was ... same marina ... same slip.  She was comfortable and we were both happy.