Musings, on our wonderful Contessa's

Have had a pleasant thought in my mind since Saturday, while out scraping, sanding, paiting, washing, waxing Wander.  Thought I'd share, since we a re a lucky few.

My second year commissioning her since taking over late 2006, and it happened again.  While head down with aching back after a long day of hard work, sore arms from holding scraper or sander up to or over my shoulders, now trying to mix the goop at the bottom of the can into the rest of the paint, I look up and someone is standing about fifteen feet away looking up at her, wistfully.

"How ya doing?" is my normal opening line.

"Pretty good - that's a Contessa isn't it?" he says.

"Sure is.  Getting her ready for splashdown next week."

"She's a pretty little boat.  A real ocean going blue water boat, isn't she?"   Note the most shocking thing said here is that this is said before I lay on the Trinidad - she looks like hell scraped and sanded with no wax or wash above the waterline...but her pedigree still shines through...

"Yeah, there've been a few singlehanders who have taken them around.  This one went around the Atlantic once in the late '80s I think."  I reply

"Looking at her makes me dream of Tahiti, or at least the Grenadines..." he says

"Yeah, we've all got dreams - those are on my list too."

"Great lines, real solid...very pretty boat you have......take care" he says, lingering for a moment, looking up at her as if expecting her to leap from her stands into the water, point towards the horizon, dolphins at the bow with a wake streaming off behind - a dream come true.

Last year it was a fellow who has had his boat at the yard for years, same story, except he mentioned "I should have bought her when I had the chance."  This year, just a pause, a smile and a shared dream.  They are beauties, our Contessas, queens of the sea.