[Rhodes22-list] Blessed with this Boat....

[Michael Meltzer]

Well done.

MJM

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim White" <jdwhite at panam.edu>
To: <Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 28, 2004 10:31 AM
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Blessed with this Boat....


> 
>    We took Le Menagerie across the bay over the weekend to lay her at a
>    quiet dock on South Padre Island in order to work on our sticky
>    centerboard (with SCUBA). On the trip across I sailed with my 7 year
>    old twin girls, who had been bugging me to "go sail" on their
>    birthday. We stopped and fished for awhile, had lunch, and made the
>    dock in the blazing heat of a South Texas summer afternoon.
>     After quite a bit of work the following day, and in a current that
>    had me holding onto the fixed portion of the keel, flying in the water
>    a little like superman, we finally got the CB down, and operational.
>    Monday I decided to return to homeport, about 10 miles across the bay,
>    so we took off around 7pm. The day had been hot, near 100 degrees with
>    light uncharacteristic NE winds, less than 10mph, giving us reaching
>    and running conditions all of the way back. Tide was low, making
>    passage out of the narrow channel a bit challenging, but once into the
>    deeper portion of the bay, I lit the sails, trimmed out and watched as
>    the big red ball began to sink on the horizon, stirring the cool ocean
>    breeze. With a CD of my favorite sailing tunes, a boat that tracked
>    smooth as silk, and dolphins, flying fish and other critters playing
>    in the clear blue water, I had time to reflect as Le Menagerie danced
>    along with them. I dropped sail at the mouth of our narrow channel
>    entrance, reached my slip around 930pm, tied off and waited for my
>    family to pick me up.
>    A year ago, almost to the date, we experienced an uninsured fire that
>    destroyed 95% of all the material things we owned. Since then, we've
>    been blessed with an abundance of work, prosperity and most of all the
>    gift of friends and extended family. Then there's this boat, that came
>    along at just the right time. I'll admit, I didn't have a whole lot of
>    information on the Rhodes when I ran across her. But the price was
>    right, the sails were fairly good, and so we ventured out and bought
>    her (or maybe she bought us....). I subsequently found this list, and
>    have enjoyed the various personalities, information, spirited
>    conversation and topics that the list provides. Our sailing community
>    here is small, very loosely knit, and so I figure you all are like an
>    extension of that.
>    And so, I thanked God for my family, my friends, blessings, many
>    opportunities, the democrats, the republicans, Stan, MJM, Le
>    Menagerie, the list, and this great country where all of this is
>    possible.
>    Had I not bought that boat, and made her a part of my soul, I would
>    have never connected to the world that only sailors know.
>    Bien viento los amigos
>    Jim White
>    Le Menagerie
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
>