Maggie's Farm

Back when I was sailing and reading about sailing I remember one writer in particular. He had a fairly large older wooden two mast sailboat. This had always been his dream boat. He took it on a short sail in Puget Sound and found a little cove to anchor in where he was going to spend a few days working on the teak decking that always seemed to need care. He was lamenting the time and effort it would take just to perform the minimal maintenance. Just before dark a small open single mast sailboat also used the cove to anchor for the night. He said it was a very young couple with two very small children. They set up a tarp across the boom to each side of their small boat so they could sleep under it. He thought how many times he had done that before he could finally afford a bigger boat. As he reflected he realized that this young family with their small but affordable boat was doing what he wanted to be doing, sailing. While he with his much bigger and well appointed boat had to spend his time taking car of it and had no time for just sailing. Although it was a difficult decision he decided then to sell his boat which he did and he bought a 23' fiberglass sailing boat and again was able to spend his time sailing. He said it was the toughest and best decision he ever made in his life.