Still in love

[Dale Tanski]

Its been 9 years since I turned the key on my own marine retail business and much has happend since then. Of course alot hasn't happened since then as well, mainly due to the compression of time.  Over those long short years both my wife and I have lost our parents, sold our family home and all four of our kids have moved out and own their own homes. 

Between life, the business and the continious home improvements projects  for the kids, sailing has taken a back seat.  I do sail, mostly in a 1962 beater Oday 17 Daysailer 1 on the odd holiday Sunday afternoon.  I also provide onboard insite and advice to our customers that race as do 3 of my 4 kids.  Each kid plays an important role in selected customers boat race programs.

In the past 9 years our 365 has been in only once for a very short season. Covid did no one any favors unless you were well connected and we continue to struggle as a result.
As with any year it is a bad look to have ones own boat floating while a good customers remains on the hard.  From the first hint of warmth until right around now, we stay just a bit busy no less that 12 hrs a day 7 days a week. 

This year people have been particularly needy but this 4th seemingly sees us over the seasonal hump so to speak.  One factor is we have never seen so many boats remaining on the hard at this point of the season. Covid too has much to do with that as well as one can go down the line of idle sitting boats noting so and so has passed or their spouce is in the hospital or they are now without a job.

I have begun to find moments in between other peoples boats to get aboard my own. At first it's just a ladder up to plug her in and a look see checking for water below. Then I got in a good powerwash and I have begun the ritual of restoring the brightwork.  Her starboard side is looking wonderful as I work my way around the deck. She will need a good hull buff and wax with the next few stolen moments before she floats.

I did have an oportunity to just sit on deck and look her over the other evening while waiting for the incomming rain, and I couldnt help but fall in love with her all over again as I did 18 short years ago.

We get aboard all kinds of boats in our business and I have yet to have one of them turn my head like our very own 365.  Over the past 4 weeks alone we have put together and sent down the waterway some very interesting boats such as a Tayana 37, Hodgeon 59, Feeling 546 and a multi million dollar custom 86 ft cat that had 3200 sqft of living space.  Dont get me wrong, they are all beautiful boats, but without real advantage at least from my point of view. 

We talk to owers all the time that don't use their boats because they are to big, too heavy or to expensive. The 365 in my mind suffers from none of those issues. We live in a town where newer Beneteaus are everywhere. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with them so to speak, but you can't even tell one from the other except by their hull color and that is limited it seems to white or gray.
The 365 still has everything we were looking for 18 years ago and still meets all of our requirements.  I put untold work into her and not a lick of it was wasted effort. She still is a looker and a sanctuary even if for a few stolen moments waiting for the rain to come.

Dale Tanski
MARUSKA
Hull #40
Cutter Ketch
Buffalo, NY