Blue Skies

A Newsline Contribution by Scott Jennings

My phone began ringing in the kitchen before I saw the boat, “Hey Scott, this is Larry – I’m out in front of your house sea trialing a new boat. Do you want to go for a ride?” Then came Larry’s big laugh. I should have known. 

His trouble became our trouble within the next 24 hours.

Read on…

It all started with that call. Larry Graf is the owner of Aspen Power Catamarans and he was testing and fiddling with a new model Aspen C108 and I guess he wanted some company. And of course I wanted to go for a ride.

I imagine he was thinking Suzi and I might be interested in this new 35’ model in which he has cleverly designed a third stateroom with a full size bed. The boat does 25 mph easily and efficiently, and glides over chop with ease. 

He picked me up at Spencer’s Landing and I sea – trialed this new marvel of a boat, and it was fun and playful. I had no interest in a new boat however. That’s until he started telling me about all the trouble he had gotten himself into. He had just re-purchased a used 2016, 40’ C120 Aspen that was in Ft. Lauderdale and was planning to update it and sell it in an upcoming Florida boat show. It was as if he was saying, “the devil made me do it!” Hand on forehead, he was shaking his head. 

His trouble became our trouble within the next 24 hours. 

Over an evening glass of wine with Suzi I told her about the fun encounter with Larry and I told her all about both the brand new Aspen boat and also the crazy Florida boat story. Well, it may have turned into two glasses of wine because soon we were talking not about the new Aspen, but only about the Florida boat. We realized we had looked at purchasing the same Florida boat a year earlier but it was priced in the nethersphere and way beyond our reach. And there is  more to the story so time and space will save it for another telling. 

Earlier that day, as I stepped on to the dock at Spencer’s Landing, and almost as an afterthought,  I asked Larry what he would sell the Florida boat for if Suzi and I were to take it off his hands. Out came his answer! 

Much to Larry’s surprise and ours, we took his offering like an eager trout taking a fly on a warm spring day. 

We transported the boat to LaConner (not as easy as it sounds) and it is currently undergoing both mechanical upgrades and cosmetic changes in a covered slip at the marina. Larry is overseeing the project himself, as his crew is doing the majority of the work. We might take possession in early March???

We are naming  her “Blue Skies”, an Irving Berlin song from the 20’s, most recently made famous by Willie Nelson but sung over the years by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald and many others. Perhaps this video piece from 1958 sums it up best:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRiXpTEmo3s  Nat King Cole and Patti Page along with a bunch of groovy cats take on “Blue Skies”. 

Congratulations to Scott and Suzi on their new yacht, “Blue Skies”!

And Scott, thank you so much for sharing this remarkable story and we wish you and Suzi ‘Nothin’ but Blue Skies from now on’ as you croon, I mean cruise on your new boat.

To the LIYC Membership:

Do you have a story to share? Maybe you took a group of photos from a trip or event that you think, “What a shame that my yacht club friends haven’t seen this or heard this story”.

Please consider adding a contribution to the Newsline. We want to hear from you. After all, it’s all about the members and their interests.

~ The Web Wench