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HAHA! That's a spare line from my sailboat. Notice it has a block & tackle holding tension too. That entire operation was iffy and kinda' spooky.

-jim lee

jim lee wrote:HAHA! That's a spare line from my sailboat. Notice it has a block & tackle holding tension too. That entire operation was iffy and kinda' spooky.

-jim lee

So, you are really comfortable with going slow! (I have a Catalina 22)

Ha! I've gone slow for great distances. I have a 35' sailboat, had it since 1992. Back then, the wife n' I sailed it to Mexico, the South Pacific, Hawaii and back to the SF Bay. Was quite the honeymoon. When the first kid made it up the ladder to the deck level we moved off the boat and onto land. (That afternoon in fact.)

-jim lee

I would never do that! I can not fathom the logistics! It was enough going to Hawaii under power at 12kts in an 390 footer for me to loose my wanderlust on the big pond. (But, if I HAD to, I could dust off the sextant and locate myself within 20 miles or so.) I flew back from the island to LA.

See, that's because you were on a powerboat. They ride terrible in the ocean. Sailboats are WAY easier to ride on.

An, while we're on the subject. I used to build sailboats.


One of the boats I (my company) built. They were little 26' performance cruisers.

-jim lee

You were safe as long as everybody sat on one side, if someone did not get the memo you ALL got wet!

I remember riding on my brother inlaws small sail boat. He said DUCK! I said what? Splash. You know it takes quite a while for sailboat to turn around to come back and get you.

I actually fell off, I think it was that boat in the picture when I owned it. We were getting ready for a race when my son lost his shoe overboard. I tacked (changed direction) around to pick up the shoe. (I was now sitting on the low side of the boat driving) As we sailed up to it, I leaned back to grab it and realized.. I can just touch the shoe, but in doing so, I'm going over. I grabbed the shoe and flicked it into the cockpit as I went in.

I was quick enough to grab the rail with one hand and hook the other rail with my ankle. (This is the PNW and the water's COLD) So here I am, hanging upsidedown off the low side of the boat just managing to keep my head out of the water when the family notices and, Ugh, everyone jumps toward me to "help". This leans the boat further over and I'm underwater. Funny thing, my teen age daughter sees what's was going on and had the sense to NOT run over but to grab the tiller and tack the boat back. This had the effect of flicking me back up on deck as if I'd never fallen off. I grabbed the tiller, said thanks and we were off to the races!

-jim lee

So basically a full boating family. With a very smart daughter!

Yeah, the poor kids didn't have much of a choice. When they grew up, we used the 35 foot sailboat as the family RV.

A couple years ago my oldest daughter bought a used Toyota 4Runner 4x4. She is now is spearheading our new family trend of 4 wheeling and camping. The M37 & The Carryall dovetail nicely into this new activity. I'm trying to encourage it as much as possible.

-jim lee

Same daughter?

Haha! Yeah, same one!


Our first foray into the woods led by Allie-Bob. She's the one on the left. This picture has a story behind it as well.

Christmas morning 2016. The kids are bored. Allie wants to try her 4Runner off road. Sounds like fun. Ma & I jump into the M37, the kids pile into Allie's 4Runner and off we go. Near the trailhead we're driving up to this neighborhood and, "Oh my lord there's a car gone over the cliff from their house above the road down into the drainage ditch!" As I'm driving by I'm thinking "Wow brand new car. That must have been scarier than cra.. OH MY GOD they are still in the car!" Now, this is the exact kind of thing that I would get involved in, screw everything up and make a total mess of it all. I don't want to get anyone killed, maybe I better let the pros handle this one..

And there's the kids pulled over up ahead. We pull over, "Dad, we gotta' go back and save those people!" What can I do?

"Alright" We turn around and head back.

Now, our family fights all the time. We can't even decide on where to eat without some sort of sub-nuclier exchange. But also, the kids grew up crewing on sailboats. They do know how to polarize into a unit when the situation calls for it.

We get back and here's the husband, just now, running to the car, the car is full of the wife and young kiddies. Julie leans out, "Hey, you want some help?"

He's kinda' in shock, "Yes please!"

The family kicks into gear. I position the M37, Julie & the girls grab rocks and chock all four tires. I get everyone out of the way of the car, no on's hurt but there is a lot of tears. Even the car is fine. I tell Dan how I'd like the winch cable hooked up. Hop in the truck, pay out the cable, Dan attaches it to the car. Reverse winch, pull car back on driveway. Girls grab the rocks from under the wheels. We all pile back into our cars, I wave at the family and shout "Merry Christmas!" And we're off. We're talking 10-15 minutes max.

We hit the dirt road and ran down it through the snow for a few miles before pulling over for the photo. That's about when it hit us what we'd just pulled off. We were feeling like total bad asses that just saved Christmas. I think it kinda' shows in the picture.

-jim lee