Adrift and perilously close to abandoning ship
Back in 2012, we had a dreamboat, an 18-foot Hourston Glascraft. It was brand-new, had a magnificent 150-horsepower Yamaha four-stroke outboard, and quickly became the envy of the Skelhp government wharf.
We paid monthly wharfage dues all summer and used it to fish and cruise. We christened her the Francine, after my then 90-year-old Mom. Mom even performed, with great enthusiasm, a champagne dedication ceremony during the boat’s first sea trials.
This boat consistently delivered and rapidly converted the entire family into marine enthusiasts.
Then one early August morning, my wife and I went down to the wharf and Francine was gone. Stolen the previous night under cover of darkness.