Four Suns Chapter 2 - Thanks Sea Ray..

Four Suns

Four Suns

Not a pot stirrer
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
10,533
Williamsburg, VA
Boat Info
2003 480 DB
Engines
QSM-11 Diesels
I finally had some time last week to head down to the boat and start getting it ready for the season. The 480 DB will be 10 years old next week and this will be our 11th season on it. Started poking through some of the drawers and cabinets and found old journals from the kids along with some pictures from the years we have spent on it. It made me realize how much has changed...

My two oldest sons are out of the house now and my third is leaving for college in the fall. This leaves me with one teenager who thinks he has more world knowledge than God. My two Golden Retrievers are more gray than gold and the highlight of our day now consists of going to the medicine cabinet where we all take our pills at 7 pm and fall asleep by 8 (they are on more pills than me). Hip problems, thyroid problems and too many burgers have started to show their influence (the dogs... not me).

I found this picture of the three oldest boys sitting on the bow of my previous boat (2001 380 DA) while tied to a dock in Maryland:

boys_380da.png


and the journal entry from my oldest son:

John_Journal_p1.png


John_Journal_p2.png


You can tell he had a clear understanding of boating at a young age and is now in the Navy.

There is no doubt it was a privilege to be able to raise the kids on Sea Ray boats and spend the summers like we did. They hated it some of the time... threw up over the edge many times.... but now when these young men call home, they tell me how great the memories are they have from these boats. Both Four Suns (I and II) have been up and down the east coast and there is nothing wrong with going to the CT/RI border from VA to pick up lobster for a Sea Ray gathering in NY... it's about the ride.

I've met some great people and made some great friends along the way and even wrote a book I never published...

cover-big.jpg


(we'll ignore the stalker problem in this post)

"Chapter 2" in our boating journey is fast approaching and I fear my new "signature" will be:

The kids moved out
The dogs passed away
One bored wife

What I would like to say is Thank You to the Sea Ray team that designed, built and supported this boat (esp. Rusty Higgins) and for all of you that have kids, I encourage you to buy the biggest boat you can afford and dump all your cash in the water. You won't regret it.

DSC_0003-1.jpg


That's it for today... and no I'm not drinking.
 
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Truer words were never spoken. As you know, I lost a daughter in a car crash 10 years ago this September. Since you never know what tomorrow holds, today is the day for making memories.

The kids will have kids and then you'll be doing the same things with the grandkids.

I hope the current stewards at Sea Ray understand that the business is not just the numbers on the bottom line; it is the people and the memories of which you speak.

Let's go boating...
 
Gary,

I remember boating with my Dad in the 50's when I was a sub-teen and in the early 60's when I was a teen. I can really identify with John's log entry!

Thanks for sharing it. See you at AC if not before. I really enjoyed our steak dinner in Hoboken with Mike and your son when you were touring Stevens last September.

Carter
 
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Very nice.

I said this in my other post by I am thrilled to be starting chapter 1

 
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My story is very similar with my three boys. We started with a 28' Sundancer and I can remember all 3 would comfortably fit in the aft cabin at the ages of 6,4, & 2. Five years later, they were outgrowing the aft bed and I was getting tired of sitting on the dock (after a nite of food and drink) waiting for the misses to convert the table to a bed and put the sheets on.....
So then came the 370 Sundancer. We have so many great memories from both of those vessels sleeping out every weekend during the summers....
Now with the 500 Sedan Bridge, we continue to take trips but now that the kids are older, it gets harder with them working summer jobs, wanting to be with friends, etc., but we still get a few trips in as a family. I will say they do have the greatest memories on the boat and reminisce from time to time...
I will tell you that if I could trade my 50' for 28' and a 6,4 and 2 yr old again, I do it in a second...For any of you guys who have young kids, treasure every second because it goes way to fast.......I look at those photos and remember their innocent personalities and wonderment with so many things, and I crave it almost every day......
 
Gary-

You are the man. Please publish that book, if for no other reason so Skip's son can use the cover picture in counseling. And as far as the memories go; I couldn't agree more. My baby girl just turned 13. My son is 15. They are slipping away to adulthood on me fast. I am so glad that when they were 4 and 2 I got them into boating full time. I was born into it and took a break to go to grad school and have the kids. I was raised on my grand fathers boat and my parents are life long boaters.

I am glad, and even proud, that I made the series of terrible financial investments otherwise known as "moving up" in the boat world. And I am very happy that the last seven years have been spent in the Sea Ray family, as the memories I have given to my children are priceless and I wouldn't trade them for the world.
 
Pretty cool Gary. Makes me remember my time as a kid boating with my Dad. Are you sure Jonathon isn't your son? Looks like he wrote that journal entry!
 
Gary. I've sent you a PM. Change your password. Someone is posting kind, thoughtful, and loving memories under your name. JK.

Really awesome to read these comments. Many years of safe, happy, and memorable boating.
 
Gary, Great Post! It did make me a little sad though. My daughter just finished her 1st
year of college. It went so fast. Like a blur. We are now broke but your post reminded me how blessed my family and I have been. Next year if its the Lord Will we are going
thru the entire Bahamas. 9 week family trip. This will probably be the last big one we have for many years. Thank you for such a great post that truly touched me today. JC
 
Great post. Every fond memory I have as a child involved being on my parents boat. Now I am trying to do the same with my three screaming kids. If we are all so fortunate enough to have healthy kids and boats them not much else matters right :)
 
It's been a long time since a thread has been locked or someone has been booted off the island. What the hell is wrong with this place?
 
Great post Gary, thanks. I'd love to read the book even if you don't get it published. Just had my almost 4 month old on the boat today, and its amazing all the milestones he's made in that short time frame. There is nothing like being raised in the boating lifestyle....nothing.
 
Great post Gary. I was active on this website when you were compiling the book you never published and remember offering to buy it as soon as it came out. We then lost the boat for a few years and I didn't visit this site for a long time... but with our next Sea Ray here I am back again..... I still wish you would publish that book!
 
Great post! Think everyone that loves boating who has children just hates it when they grow up, leave home and have other interests and can only boat with them now and again, which is the way of the world-:( Neither my husband nor I grew up in a boating family (they don't care for it at all) so not sure where we picked up "the bug". Have some great memories of boating in our 17' cramped cruiser when our children were young, really wish we could "turn the clock back". We're very lucky that our two still live nearby, although they now have their own families, they all love boating. Best of all we now have a new shipmate to help us out who appears to love it, especially the wind in her face:)



 
I’m moved! I never imagined Gary could do it!!! :grin:

But he is right, a boat is not just a thing...
 
“Chapter 2” begins when the grandkids arrive. The best part of that however, you can get them all wound up and send them home with someone else.
 
Four Suns said:
What I would like to say is Thank You to the Sea Ray team that designed, built and supported this boat (esp. Rusty Higgins) and for all of you that have kids, I encourage you to buy the biggest boat you can afford and dump all your cash in the water. You won't regret it.
Click to expand...

Damn Gary, this post nearly made me cry. My kids have been on a Sea Ray since they were 5 and 3 (11 and 9 now). Now I have to figure out how I'm going to kick up a conversation to my wife of buying a bigger boat. I think if I tell her to read your post, she'll be sold.

Good stuff!
 
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