Aftermath . . .

For a number of years we have owned a lovely boat, actually a Cruiser. By virtue of price and size it is described by the Coast Guard and our BoatUS insurance policy as a “Yacht.”  We bought her as the “Chili Pepper,” and I later renamed her “Aftermath” . . . with Sandy being a math teacher.  (“After Math” we can go have fun on the boat!)  We have always had a boat, but never anything close to “Aftermath.”

The kids were grown and off in school, and we decided that we could afford a large boat. That decision sets us on something like a two year search for the right vessel. Finally, I got a lead on a Bertram in Kemah so we drove up for the weekend.  We had reservations at the South Shore Harbor Resort Hotel for the week-end and I had an early-morning appointment with a yacht broker on Saturday morning.  We drove in on Friday evening feeling like we were part of the jet-set!  I found an upscale restaurant and we had an elegant dinner.  We made our way to the hotel and got checked in after 11 pm. We just sat and talked about where we had started our journey, and where we were at that moment.  We thanked The Lord for his blessings in our life . . . we thanked him for how he had blessed, rewarded, and increased our hard work through the years.

The next morning I woke at the crack of dawn, like a little boy on Christmas morning.  I started the coffee maker, went to the lavatory and rinsed my mouth and brushed my teeth, and went back and stole a cup of the brewing coffee.  I walked over the drapes and pulled the cord on the wall that was completely glass and looked down on the harbor below.  I was absolutely wowed . . . several acres of water and marina . . . packed with the most beautiful yachts in the world.  With the firm belief that before the sun set that evening, one of them would be ours!!  Sandy tends not to be quite as excitable at that hour, so she was still in bed stretching and grumbling about Saturday mornings were made for rest . . . and in a couple of instances, she used the religion card with referenced to the Sabbath.  I urged her to get out of that darn bed and come and behold.  I exclaimed, “I believed I died last night and went to Heaven, and I knew it would look just like this!!”

Finally, I roused her out of bed with the promise of a fancy breakfast and Starbucks.  We arrived at the broker’s office on the dock below on time, got acquainted and went to look at the Bertram we had come to see. Wow, it was, indeed, a ‘fixer upper,’ and actually needed more fixing than I was able or willing to do!  I decided to pass, so the broker and I headed back to his floating office.  Sandy stayed behind and walked around ‘kicking tires’ . . . so to speak.  The broker and I looked at the photo journal of a number of vessels, and I made a list of a few I thought had potential . . . which proved to be a complete waste of time.  Sandy walked in and announced that she had found our boat!  So we followed her down the dock where she pointed out the Chili Pepper and announced that was the boat she wanted.  I was speechless . . . the vessel was clearly beautiful and even elegant, but good-grief, it was a girl’s boat!!  It didn’t even have a tall tuna tower, for Pete’s sake.  The broker saw the dilemma and decided he ought to lend me a hand, and said, “Sandy, this is truly a fine boat, but it is a pleasure, luxury cruiser, and Johnny wants a fishing boat.”  She smiled ever so sweetly and replied, “Johnny has a marvelous fishing boat . . . Bamonitias!  This will be a fine week-end boat, with the comforts of home!  It didn’t take long to check her out, and we made an offer on the vessel, all subject to survey (the term used for a professional marine inspection).  I checked around and located the absolute best “Buyer” surveyor, and engaged him.  That good man taught me more about a yacht in a couple of hours than I could ever imagine possible.

We spent the next couple of weeks walking through the long process (which is much like buying real estate — at least for vessels documented by the Coast Guard and the Department of a Homeland Security.

When we finally had everything completed, and had a closing scheduled for mid-afternoon on Friday, Sandy, Walter, and I loaded up and drove to Clear Lake.  We also had my friend Capt Charles Clark along to act as Captain . . . we figured out that as a tug-boat captain for 30 years, he had made the journey through the inter-coastal canal (ICWW) over 5,000 times.  My darling little sister, Dorothy, flew into Houston Intercontinental airport for the weekend. We spent the night at the hotel and had a planned departure from the marina at first light to bring our new vessel home.  While we were at the hotel checking in, we encountered a most polite, well-dressed black fellow offering limo services.  I thought, “What the heck?” and sent him after Dorothy, and scheduled him to drive us to dinner (but, of course, I negotiated a rate).

The girls took off in the suburban and went and bought provisions for the trip home, and returned and stocked the fridge and set it up with cookware and dishes.

We had a lovely dinner at the famous Landry’s Aquarium on the Boardwalk.  I insisted that our driver park the limo and join us for dinner, and he reluctantly did so.  After Walter said the blessing over the meal and thanked The Lord for his goodness, the driver . . . almost in tears, told us that his dad was an immigrant Baptist preacher from Africa and spoke of his own faith, and thanked us for being genuine people of faith.  We enjoyed a delightful dinner, filled with laughter, stories and love.  Afterward, we returned to the hotel to get some rest.

The next morning, we were on the boat by dawn and began a two-day journey home.  What a grand trip . . . what a great learning experience . . . What a sweet time of fellowship.  A trip and a weekend I will always remember.  What a great vessel!

We have loved and enjoyed her greatly.  Every 4th of July, we loaded her up with friends and family and went out into Aransas Bay and enjoyed dinner and the fireworks show.  We have had as many as 50 folks on her for that event; yet, at other times, we had smaller groups and simply cruised about and docked at a waterfront restaurant and enjoyed dinner. We would chuckle that with marine fuel being over $5 a gallon and Aftermath using over 2 gallons of fuel per mile, we were having a quite expensive meal.

We just sold Aftermath this afternoon to a ranching family from Laredo. They seem as proud and excited as we were that first evening.  I hope and pray that they will love and enjoy her and have the great family time as we did!  Aftermath . . . a great vessel . . . a yacht in a class all by herself.  One of my fondest moments was as I was returning home from a trip, I stopped at a Stripes in Sinton for fuel.  I was wearing a polo shirt with Aftermath and the ship emblem monogrammed on it.  The guy getting gas on the other side of the pump looked over and asked, “Sir, is that Aftermath docked in the Key Allegro marina?”  I said that it was and he smiled and said, “She is the prettiest vessel in the marina!”  I felt like a proud new papa!

Thank you, Lord for allowing us to own and enjoy this great vessel through the years!

 

 

 

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