Thursday, July 19, 2012

Briar Patch Has A New Owner

Briar Patch (L) and OneEighty (R)
Looking like brother and sister
In June, 2012 BriarPatch got a new owner, Matt Fortner and family.  Matt came down to Gulf Shores one sunny weekend in June from Oxford, Mississippi with a list of boats to look at, hoping he would find "the" one and take it home.  We went out for one of those afternoon sails that, when you least expect it, becomes one of those memorable, perfect-day sails where you wonder why everyone isn't out doing this.  It was such the perfect day, that two things happened,  one, he decided he wanted to buy the boat (though he hadn't told me that yet) and two, I had about decided on that perfect day, that I didn't want to sell it. When we got back to the dock, however, and I saw my other boat tied up in the slip I was abruptly reminded why I must sell her.  Matt left, came back that evening and we struck a deal and shook on it.  Yeah, we "shook" on it.  I like doing that, it makes me feel like things are being done like my granddad did back in the 50's in the old south.  After all, Matt was from "Ole Miss" and although they may not have football perfectly figured out at the moment, I figured this guy knew how to shake on a deal.  He did.  It worked.  Transaction complete! (though later we did sign a bill-of-sale which is required in the state of Alabama).
We kept the boat at our dock until Matt could get his crew and time lined up, and on June 22, he departed Sailboat Bay in Gulf Shores for a ~500 mile maiden voyage  North up Mobile Bay then up the Tenn Tom waterway to Pickwick Lake.
Matt kept me posted via email and texts as the voyage progressed, and approximately 8 days later both he and I were releived that he had arrived safely, with no major breakages.  It is a boat you know.  I hope and trust that he and his family had a memorable cruise that they will long remember, and will serve as the first of many great times they have on Briar Patch. 

So I won't be posting any more on this BriarPatch blog, everything from now on will be on www.sailingoneeighty.blogspot.com.  Goin' South.
over and out: Charlie.

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