TWO-BOAT PURGATORY

While I admire all Charles J. Doane’s writing, I was particularly captivated by The Bones of the Beast (April 2017). I too have navigated the archipelago of boat-related broken promises. Currently, I’ve broken a serious promise and find myself in “that economic purgatory reserved for two-boat owners.” I was due to be released on Wednesday of this week, but was informed by the bailiff that the buyer of one of my two boats had cancelled the contract due to health issues. My spirits, such as they are, plummeted. Worse yet, I own two boats of the same make and model—Catalina 36 (prompting another inmate to quip: if you raft them up together, you’ll have a “Cata(lina)maran.” I have no capacity for humor in this hour. The bailiff advises to expect new arrivals, as the spring boat shows induce more broken promises and two-boat owners. — Nelson Lee, via sailmail

Nelson: I am very sorry to learn of your predicament. I have been in two-boat purgatory myself a couple of times and just narrowly avoided it in my most recent segue between vessels, but only after being sorely abused by the buyers of the one I needed to sell. Sadly, the only way out of purgatory, in most cases, is settling for a price that is anything but fair. I wish you the best of luck! — Charles J. Doane