Victory at Sea

Sometimes in my line of work, you come across some unique individuals, usually accompanied by unique circumstances. This happened to me yesterday. I’ll change the names for the purpose of this entry. This story is about a man and his dream.

Dan had called more than a month earlier to check on our facilities and to see if he might use them to launch his boat and store the boat trailer on our property for a week. He had a sailboat and wanted to sail to Charleston, S.C. No problem, I figured, so I give him the thumbs up.

The big day arrived and so did Dan and his sailing buddy. Turns out, the boat they are launching is a 12.5 ft Herschoff, a beautiful little day sailor. This one had been completely refurbished and looked brand new. It also turns out that we were experiencing 30 knot winds yesterday with gusts much higher. You can’t tell from the picture, because of the angle and the way it’s cropped, but it was rough out on that water!

Dan knows about the conditions but will not be deterred! We get the boat in the water and I watch as several people try to talk Dan out of sailing that little boat in those strong winds. After Dan gets all the sails rigged and is in his final preparation for departure, I pull him away from everyone else and have a talk with him.

Dan has almost fifty years of sailing, and his buddy is just as experienced. He had planned this trip for over a year while refurbishing this boat. Nothing was going to keep him from his plan.

Sometimes, when you look a man right in the eyes, you can judge the mettle of the person. I saw confidence and calmness in Dan’s eyes while we talked. I also saw that he was going, no matter what.

Most of us professionals on this part of the waterway know each other. I got reports throughout the day on Dan’s progress. It became clear that he was going to successfully complete the first leg of his trip without mishap.

I have to admire a man with a dream. Someone who will not let others stand in the way of his accomplishments. My hat’s off to you Dan! May you have clear skies and calm seas for the rest of your journey.