Let me start off by clarifying that no it is not my birthday and sadly even if it was 23 was a long time ago ;). No this post title is in reference to our little sailboat that we sold this past weekend :(. I remember when David first brought up the idea of buying a sailboat and I thought “Um, okay. Sounds like it could be fun.” I had no idea how to sail but I could totally nail the nautical outfit. I pictured myself in a navy striped shirt with cute white shorts and a tan lounging on the deck of a fabulous sailboat. Then we started looking and I quickly realized that who was I kidding I’m never the girl with a tan, I’m either blindingly white or tomato red. So armed with a big bottle of sunscreen we checked out several boats and none felt right. Then my father in law called and told us he found a boat in South Carolina for us, a few photos through text messaging and BAM we bought a boat! We were the proud owners of a new to us 1993 Hunter 23.5 sailboat that we affectionately called Twenty Three! She needed a little TLC and saving from her 90’s color scheme but she looked good. Blood, sweat and tears were poured into her to make her over to look fabulous! When she first arrived it was a nightmare of aqua, purple and pink and when she left she was a much nicer traditional navy and white with red accents! Big thanks to my Gram for helping me sew all new cushions, she looked spectacular when we were done. I think your first boat is like your first car, she will never be forgotten. She taught David and I how to sail and how to work together. She was the site of a few nerve wracking times during our newbie days and lots of fun once we figured everything out! She made sailing so much fun and such a bonding experience for us that we bought a bigger boat. So it was time to say goodbye to her and find her a home that would love her as much as we did. This past Sunday we did and I think her new owners are just as excited as we were to first get her! I wish them well with my baby, take care of her and she will take care of you!
In two weeks I’ll be writing the next My Life column from our new boat as we take a week off to sail her down the Chesapeake and back up the Potomac to her new home!! I’m guessing I’ll be writing something about boating that week 🙂
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.
