Your first boat is hard to part with

I could totally relate to Paul Sullivan's saga of selling Sea Paws - his beloved first boat - as told in today's NY Times.

Of course, Paul faced the expected challenge of selling a luxury item in a product category that has by many accounts experienced a 50% drop in sales since he bought his boat two years ago. However, it sounds like he didn't anticipate that it would be as hard to emotionally give up the boat as it was to find a buyer.

I recall in selling my own first boat - and taking a similar financial loss due to engine issues (it didn't work any more) - that the void from not having the boat itself was much harder to bear than the bath I took in the sale.

Well, Paul, we still have our memories. You can also take comfort in knowing that the buyer probably will indeed love the boat as much as you did - he just hid his emotions better while negotiating. After all, what's not to love about a 30 ft express cruiser?

Safe Boating Week

As the weather warms across the country and boats get ready to launch, President Obama has made it official with a press release from the White House declaring this week National Safe Boating Week 2009.

Mr. Obama tells us that he encourages "all Americans to join in observing this occasion by learning more about boating safety and committing themselves to safe practices on the water." OK, he didn't actually tell us that, but he said it in his statement. And we were listening.

Maybe with gas prices down dramatically from last summer, more people will take to the water, spend more time on their boats and more money on all the things that go along with boating. For example, I don't know, maybe they'll spend money on boat name stuff. One can hope.

If you'd like to put the President's call into action, one place to start is FirstBoat's boating safety tips page.

Enjoy the season and be safe!