Sweet SounDS oF SiLenCe

Had

Kenny Wooton’s memories of sliding over Narragansett Bay [From the Masthead, November/December 2015] are well founded. I recall a similar adventure with him back when we worked together at another magazine. I was power-oriented for sure, but he let me take the helm of a Swan sailboat after shutting down the Yanmar. He to notice the smile write to us at: yachts international, 1535 Se 17th Street, Suite b201, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316. or email us at: yachtsmail@ aimmedia. com on my face when the rattling stopped and the only sound was the cadence of the wind and the water slicing off the bow and slipping past the cockpit. On another of our escapades, we were bringing a power cruiser to Newport for the boat show and, late as usual, I let all the ponies out of the stable to get us there before dark. The blue V8 Crusaders never missed a beat, and the rumble under our feet was reassuring and comfortable. Sound, or the absence of it, on the water has a mystical quality that never fades nor feels the same way twice. Being on the water is all sweet music. Turn it up. I just had to drop a note to tell you that Kenny Wooton’s letter in the November/December 2015 issue [From the Masthead] was quite moving (with the exception perhaps of the comment about “flatulent motorcycles,” which, as a biker, got my engine revving). Coming from the performanceboat side, I always laughed that my business was 100-plus mph, but my pleasure was 12 knots because you don’t spill your cocktail. You truly captured the essence of escaping to the quiet, and I can imagine your message reached many who walked out onto their deck or dock, breathed a primal sigh and just listened.