I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I lived in Texas for about 10 years. One of the main reasons for moving to Texas was we wanted to get a sailboat and do the sailing thing for a while. We wound up buying a Gulfstar 39 that we enjoyed sailing for about 5 years. We decided to sell the boat and after it sold we would move back to Colorado.
We were not in a big hurry so we decided to try and sell the boat ourselves versus using a broker and paying 10% of the sale price. OK, I may squeak a little when I walk... only a little, OK. I created a web page and put the particulars about the boat online and waited.
This is where the story begins.
One day, back in the late summer of 2004 (if my old brain remembers correctly) I got a phone call. There was a woman on the other end, she asked if I was the person with a Gulfstar 39 for sale. I said I was and she said, "Don't you think it would look beautiful sailing in Puget Sound?"
I'll call this woman Sal and her husband I'll call Slim... not their real names. Their real names are.... now wouldn't that be dumb!Sal was a likable woman and a kick to talk with. She was outgoing and the impression I got was fun loving. She also wasn't poor because you don't buy a Gulfstar 39 with a Visa card... maybe American Express, I never had one of those.
Sal and Slim had been looking for a boat for some time. They had recently sailed with a friend on a Gulfstar 39 and loved the layout and the way she handled so they were on the hunt. Sal saw my page offering my Gulfstar for sale and was clearly interested.
We talked about my boat over the course of 3 or 4 weeks. I wound up sending her a copy of the survey (boat inspection for those who are sailing challenged) I had so they could see the condition of the boat.
They took my survey and reviewed it with their surveyor (boat inspector) and decided to come to Texas for a test sail and to look her over. A couple of weeks later they arrived.
We headed out and had a very pleasant day sailing. Drank a few beers. Had a nice lunch that my wife prepared. They were pleasant people and I'd like to think we are too. Slim was just fascinated. He crawled around the boat checking all the nooks and crannies. He didn't talk much but it was clear he and my boat were developing a thing.
Slim was in the process of turning his business over to his son. Slim was 62 and had worked for as long as he could remember. He owned a metal fabrication shop and wanted to follow his dream and get a boat. Work on her. Fix her. Sail her.
Sal was right in line with Slim. She was a lawyer and wanted to slow down and take time to enjoy what she and Slim had worked for so long to get.
About 2 weeks following the sail Sal and Slim returned to Texas and this time they brought their surveyor with them. I had made arrangements to have the boat at the boat yard so the yard could pull the boat out of the water and their surveyor could inspect the bottom. After that we set sail for my house and the surveyor continued his inspection while we were under way.
Again the sail was uneventful and pleasant. Sal and Slim were just beside themselves with the thought of sailing on their own in Puget Sound. Their excitement was contagious and there were smiles all around.
They left for home the next day but before getting on the plane they called me and made an offer... I accepted. All that was left to do was for me to get the money and deliver the boat back to the boat yard where it would be prepared for truck transport to Seattle.
At the appointed time I delivered the boat and watched as they took the mast off and stowed gear and finally hauled her out of the water. The transport would be there the next day for loading. The deal was done.
I got an email from Sal saying they were very excited about getting the boat. They had been showing their friends pictures of their new baby. She said she talked with the transport driver every day.
I got a email from her on a Wednesday saying that she and Slim were going to meet the transport who was one day out of Seattle. They wanted to see the boat on the truck and just look at her. It would be a while before they could sail her as they had made arrangements to have some upgrades done before commissioning her.
A few days later I got an email from Sal. She said Slim and she had met the driver and the boat looked great. She said the driver was even excited about the boat because it was a pretty nice boat and he liked the Gulfstar line anyway. She and Slim hung out with the driver until around 9 that night before taking the 75 minute drive home.
Sal's email said that she and Slim got up the next morning around 5:30 and a few minutes later Slim had a massive heart attack and died.
I sure hope she is sailing on Puget Sound. God bless you Slim.
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