The long-awaited dream arrived in one sturdy vessel
by Joe Stubler
Publisher's Note to the Stublers: Since this wonderful boat has yet to be officially renamed, you may want to check out John Vigor's Boat Denaming Ceremony. And welcome to the bay!
Growing up in Sheboygan on the shore of Lake Michigan, I used to watch the sailboats entering and leaving the marina and try to imagine what it would feel like to be on one of them.
As I grew older those thoughts continued to dominate my daydreams and one summer I did go sailing. It was with a friend of a friend who invited a few of us along on a sail from Egg Harbor to Washington Island on his 32’ ketch. I still remember the rush as the engine was shut down and the wind filled the sails.
Until last summer that was my solitary sailing experience—except for a couple of days messing around with a little 2-person dingy on a forgotten lake up near Eagle River.
But life moves on and college, starting a family, and making a living put those sailing dreams on the back burner. Then the currents of life brought me to my 60th birthday and, reflecting on the twists and turns of the past years, I looked reality in the eyes and admitted to myself that my dream of being the skipper of my own boat was just not going to happen.
So I made a conscious decision to leave the dream behind.
DREAM REVIVED
Meanwhile
my wife Jeannie, not knowing about my decision to abandon my dream, had run
across an advertisement in her inter-office newsletter about a guy selling his
used boat. The price was set amazingly low and she thought it might be doable.
In fact she even contemplated just buying it and surprising me with it.
Sitting around talking after dinner she mentioned it to me and before I knew it she had revived my dream. I had thought that a sailboat of the type I was interested in was way beyond my price range, even a used boat.
This is where I have to admit to being a real dummy for not exploring the used boat market more diligently but, as we continued talking, Jeannie convinced me that a used boat was in our realm of possibility. So why don’t we look around and see what we can find?
In a matter of days, I had gone from giving up the dream to having its possibility dropped back into my lap by my best friend and wife. What a gal!
THE SEARCH
BEGINS
We looked
for a 23' to 30' sloop by scanning newspaper and internet ads. We wanted something in
reasonable condition that we could overnight in with relative
comfort.
I liked the idea of a swing keel boat but was wary of potential problems with the raising and lowering mechanism from stories I had read during my research. But I was determined to keep an open mind.
We soon found a listing for a used 1975 25’ Catalina in dry storage at a Sturgeon Bay dealer. On a warm sunny April morning we arrived at the dealer’s office and waited for him to finish with a customer. Sitting there and looking around I became a little apprehensive and wondered how much time a dealer would want to give us for a used $9,000 boat when his marina was filled with million-dollar beauties.
Well, the salesman was very friendly and happily took us to where the Catalina was stored. It had been out of the water for 3 years and showed it. He asked if I wanted to check out the cockpit and cabin and here I need to tell you that I have a phobia for heights.
But the prospect of climbing up the ladder into the cockpit of my potential boat overrode all those fears. Then, once on the boat, my phobia of spiders was also overcome by my eagerness to get into the cabin and see what she was like below decks.
Well, she was dirty, covered with dust and cobwebs and crawling with what appeared to be tarantulas. She smelled of stale bilge and other nasty things; the cabin floor sagged under my feet and she was generally ragged and worn looking.
Although disappointed by her condition, at the same time I was excited to be looking at a boat. But if this was what a boat in my price range was like, maybe my dream would have to be let go after all. We spent the rest of that spring looking at a good number of used boats, traveling all over east and northeast Wisconsin and discovering quite a range of conditions and prices.
THE ONE
Eventually
we found our boat at a slip on Lake Winnebago: A 1973 Westerly Centaur 26’
sloop. She was worn but obviously loved and well cared for. Her cabin was
roomy and cozy. And the price was right.
After much discussion and a little research we made an offer and bought her for a fair price that included the rest of the season’s slippage and winter storage.
Designed in 1968 by Jack Giles Laurent, Centaurs were produced between 1969 and 1978 and have proved to be one of the most popular British yachts. Built strong and rugged for blustery North Sea conditions, she handles very well but can be a little slow into the wind because of her twin keels.
Her cockpit is deep and cozy with an aft-mounted tiller and a small but adequate 8.8hp Johnson outboard for backup. Her main power plant is a 25hp Volvo Penta diesel. Her side decks are nice and wide giving one a feeling of safety when climbing around on her topsides.
AT THE
TILLER
Our
son-in-law was with us the day we took possession and, as she was already in
the water, we fired up the engine and ventured out into Lake Winnebago. I don’t
have to tell you that standing at the tiller and motoring out on my very own
sailboat was the thrill of a lifetime.
She is currently tucked in and covered for the winter at Calumet Harbor Marina but this spring she’ll be trucked to her new home port at South Bay Marina in Green Bay. We are looking forward to exploring the bay for many years to come.
RICH
HISTORY, NEW NAME
And oh yes,
we are going to throw caution to the wind and dare to rename her. The
salty old sailor we bought her from had named her Kardea and someday I hope to
sit down with him and get a chronicle of his adventures with her.
Word at the marina is that he and a friend circumnavigated the globe with her. I would love to verify that as he was somewhat of a legend at the marina.
We are undecided about performing any mojo-filled ceremonies to ward off the gods of misfortune for renaming her, but after all is said and done this beautiful, noble lady will spread her wings as the good sloop Moonshadow.
The
adventure continues … 
_____
Josef Stubler, born in Bavaria, Germany, grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He and wife Jeannie have one daughter and their first grandson on the way this February. A graduate of UWGB with a degree in Accounting, Joe works for the Oneida Tribe as accountant for their non-hotel operations. Jeannie is a graduate of UW-EauClaire with a major in Education who works as senior business analyst with Integrys out of Green Bay. They are brand new sailors just starting to learn the ropes.