Powering his “new” boat into San Francisco Bay – under the Golden Gate Bridge – after a 500 mile ocean voyage.
Even with $200,000- of upgrades done in the last decade, huge new diesel engines, canvas, and many other upgrades –no boat broker had been able to sell his classic, 1958, all wood, 45’ Stephens Fly Bridge yacht. So he asked about donating it to Central Community.
It’s a big expense to say “yes” to a boat that can’t come out of the water. Slip and cleaning fees alone ran nearly a thousand dollars a month… if it was killing him… why should we think it wouldn’t sink us? We took it anyway.
Videos were made, ads circulated on line, craigslist and ebay was crammed – it seemed you couldn’t sign on to the internet without spotting this boat… even still- no buyers. The price dropped below $10k (the engines had just 100 hours each on them, ran beautifully and had cost $28k EACH to install) and weeks came and went with just a few calls.
He flew in from up north with $9K in cash- we said “YES!” We’d hope to get a new roof for the church with the hopefully $25k we’d make –instead we barely cleared $3k after expenses were covered. In a matter of hours he had the boat ready to go and at month’s end he and his brother left Long Beach for San Francisco on their first open ocean cruise on a boat that hadn’t left the slip in nearly a decade. INSANE!
People said he was crazy to attempt such a trip, to buy the old boat. The weekend he left the biggest storm of the season came in off the Pacific- 20’ to 30’ swells rolling down the coast as they beat their way north. He text this photo as the sun broke through the clouds as they prepared to go under the Golden Gate Bridge. Two brothers from Illinois who for just $9k bought the adventure of a lifetime, a story they’ll tell at family gatherings for years to come…
“If you’re not living on the edge- you’re taking up too much space.” Taking a huge loss- an incredibly generous donation was made. Taking much less than we’d hoped for- we surrendered title to a boat that had represented so much to our little team of fundraisers. And putting everything on the line- life, family, vacation time and finances –one man, who easily could have lost his life, instead came away with more than memories, excitement and a boat that he now rents out for extra income as an apartment just off Fisherman’s Wharf – he also learned that time honored maxim is true: “nothing ventured- nothing gained.”
Our Biggest Adventures are still out ahead of us- regardless of where we are in life –when we’re still ready to put everything on the line. It’s the only way we’ll ever know what it’s like to sail under the Golden Gate… or whatever your dream may be.
Go. Do. Be.