The Kindness of Strangers

There is another boat in the marina named Freedom. The one that is NOT mine is 155′ long. It’s hard to get a sense of scale in this photograph, but she is a seriously big boat.

Freedom tows a 40′ boat behind her, to act as her tender. Amazing…her tender is 25% longer than my boat. I have a nice boat, but being with these huge yachts is truly humbling.

Anyway, here’s the kindness part: the large Freedom is owned by a lovely patrician couple from Newport. Both of them trim and handsome. Ditto for the couple who serve as their captain and crew, who are also attractive and fit. Guinness plays every day with the owner’s dog Moose, and the dogs really get along well.

On Christmas Day, about 3PM, the woman who owns the yacht sent over a complete Christmas dinner for me to enjoy. All home-cooked by her crew. The turkey was tender and moist, the beans were cooked perfectly, the rolls were melt-in-your mouth fresh, and the gravy tasted of sage and fennel. Wow! When I thanked them, they just said “We enjoy doing things like that.”