LettersToEditor@BoatUS.com
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Back In The Day
Life has taken us our separate ways,
so I haven’t seen or spoken with Richard
in at least 35 years (“Richard Has Your
Back,” November 2009). I do remember,
however, the happy hours my wife and
I spent at his house in the late ‘60s and
early ‘70s. Sometimes we came to hang
out; sometimes we kept an eye on his
young daughters when he and his wife
were both working. Don’t confuse the
gentleman founder of today with the person who frequently left his house before 7
a.m. and returned at 11 p.m. He ignored
many critics who said BoatU.S. would
never succeed. Richard worked hard to
make this wonderful organization a reality.
— Robert Schwartz (no relation)
Washington, DC
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The Cult Of Chris-Craft
I thoroughly enjoy reading the
BoatU.S. Magazine. My favorite column is
“BoatsGear Wheels — Classics” and I read
this first to learn more about top-quality
boats, what made them great and current
market values. I was wondering if you ever
highlighted the Chris-Craft Catalina model
line, specifically the 280/281/291/292, all
based on the 28-foot hull manufactured
from the early ’70s through the mid- ’80s?
I have been using and restoring a 1985
280 for the past three years and have to say
that this is a great boat which has it all: top
quality, classic styling, practical layout with
a bright and airy cabin with outstanding
headroom that sleeps six. For restoration,
all the parts are readily available off-the-shelf. There is quite the cult following for
anything Chris-Craft. Please consider
reviewing this family-friendly classic.
— Tom Greco
Bayport, NY
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Editor’s
Note: You can view all of
the boat reviews at BoatUS.com/boatreviews;
alas, the Chris-Craft Catalina has not been
included yet. At BoatUS.com/boatgroups there
is also an active online site for Chris-Craft
Catalina owners.
Life Is A Highway
A friend of mine gave a retirement
speech and in the course of it read a
poem by the early 20th Century Greek
poet Constantine Cavafy, called “Ithaca.”
The theme is that arriving at a destination
is not what’s important; it’s the journey
along the way that really counts. The poem
means a great deal to me and we renamed
our 35-foot sailboat Ithaca. Heading down
Where Our Flags Fly
very issue of BoatU.S. Magazine celebrates the landfalls and
everyday joys our readers experience aboard their boats. E
1 “This is one of our favorite photos of Hullabaloo in the Caribbean,” say Gary and
Faye Hussion of Fredericksburg, Virginia. “She’s a 40-foot Legacy we had built in 1999
and has cruised the East Coast from Maine to Key West and the entire Erie Canal to
Lake Erie. After many winters in the Bahamas we cruised her down to St. Lucia. She’s
been there for the last three years, cruising the Windward Islands.”
2 “This photo of $um Day was taken on a beautiful afternoon while I was swimming
with camera in hand, anchored at Locke Slough on the California Delta,” says owner
Brad Irwin of the 30-foot Regal. “Our homeport is Isleton, California, and we boat in the
Delta mostly, but once a year we head to San Francisco Bay. This photo is with friends
Nancy and Dave Hanes and that’s my first mate Jo Ann Irwin on the right.”
3 “Here’s a photo of our boat Phoebe, a 1936 American Car and Foundry, on a cruise
we took on the historic Rideau Canal from Lake Ontario to Ottawa, Canada,” says Bruce
Bidwell whose homeport is Clayton, New York. “My wife April and I purchased her
after downsizing from a cruising sailboat to a couple of home-built kayaks. For a lark we
stopped at an auction and walked away with a 32-foot antique cruiser! After completely
restoring Phoebe she has become our home away from home, our mobile front porch,
and our ticket to adventure. Our cruises have included: the Thousand Islands region of
the St. Lawrence River, the Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Lake Ontario, the New York
State Canal System and the Hudson River as far as Kingston.”
