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There's a saying around boat docks that the happiest two
days in a boat owner's life are the day he buys the boat and
the day he sells it. However, giving up Caribbean Soul
was our saddest day--like saying farewell to an old friend
that you know you'll never see again.
Why would a sailor become so emotionally attached to a material
possession? After all, what is a sailboat but a fusion of
fiberglass, teak, metal, and canvas that brings frustration
as often as pleasure. The brain insists that this sailboat
has no soul, but the heart knows differently.
This emotion can't be explained, only felt for oneself. On
a perfect day, you raise the sails and suddenly the wind breathes
life into white canvas. The boat surges forward, like a thoroughbred
leaping out of the gate, feeling her own power and conquering
each wave that slices across her bow. And you, the frail human
who commands this vessel, has become part of something much
bigger than yourself. You are one with the boat, the wind,
the water, the sky, and with God. The boat seems to embrace
the ecstasy of this perfect moment. She is alive and full
of joy, and so are you.
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Final pictures at North Shore Boat Works,
where Caribbean Soul was hauled out for her trip to
Lake Texoma
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