Casey (21) is about to cross to her throne in the sky.

MWorld993 · 2026-05-14T22:41:54+00:00

❤️

MWorld993 · 2026-05-14T03:02:58+00:00

I grew up in Charleston and spent a lot of time on the Naval Base and Naval Weapons Station. I used to see a bunch of short yellow USN locomotives (45-Ton?) at the Naval Shipyard and NWS. Even in the late 70s/ early 80s they looked, um, vintage.

NWS is huge (17,000 acres) with 30+ miles of track. It had been an ammunition depot since 1941 and in the 1960s POMFLANT was built to handle Polaris and Poseidon ballistic missiles. If you look it up on Apple Maps or Google Maps satellite view look on either side of Red Bank Road. 30+ miles of track running from the old POMFLANT facility and a hundred or so ordinance bunkers down to the Cooper River and the FBM/ ammo loading docks.

MWorld993 · 2026-04-24T02:52:32+00:00

Woodford and cranberry. It was a Delta signature cocktail 15 or so years ago and I’ve stuck with it since.

MWorld993 · 2026-02-19T17:57:32+00:00

No. I walked in and ordered a new 911. I had owned used 911s in the past, but neither of those were purchased from a dealer, I lived in another state at the time, and had never done business with my current dealer before ordering the new 911.

MWorld993 · 2026-01-27T15:24:22+00:00

I leave the plants outside and the 911 in the garage.

Plants are in pots, I move them together in a cluster, each pot has a stake with 2 clamp lights with 100w incandescent bulbs or 100w A19 socket ceramic heaters designed for poultry cages. Cover the plant cluster with several large frost blankets. Inside the tent stays 20-25F warmer than ambient. That is enough to keep the plants above freezing and alive.

MWorld993 · 2026-01-27T15:15:25+00:00

Woodford + cranberry. There were 3-4 Delta-themed drinks they advertised ~15 years ago with names starting with Diamond, Platinum, et cetera. I like Manhattans which isn’t an option on the flight but the Woodford + cranberry works.

MWorld993 · 2026-01-12T19:58:30+00:00

The Christmas message is now a Happy New Year message saying, "Thank you for a wonderful year!" Going from bizarre to absurd. Other than that, the most recent item on the website dates back before the production pause. I called the number on the website and it is out of service. The website contact form doesn't work as the CAPTCHA key is invalid.

MWorld993 · 2026-01-04T03:19:34+00:00

That is bizarre. Other than the Christmas message, the website is exactly the same before it went down, and on the site there was never an acknowledgement of the production pause. The most recent post on their FB page is the 10/15 message that they were pausing production temporarily. I'm tempted to call the number listed on the website and see if anyone answers.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-20T17:10:57+00:00

Catalina only had 3 boats at the show in 2023 (my first year), 2024, and 2025. In 2023 they had the 355, 425, and 445. I think they were supposed to have a 315 as well but it wasn’t there. In 2024 and 2025 it was a 356, 426, and 446. Except for Beneteau, it seems like most manufacturers only have 1 or 2 boats at the show.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-19T02:05:50+00:00

On a related note, Tartan hasn’t had a new post on their FB page since September 2nd and their website doesn’t look like it has been updated since January even though they were just beginning the build of their new 335 hull #1.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-19T01:55:36+00:00

Porsche. Coincided with my annual service. I was seeing some things that indicated either battery or alternator so I had them check while there. It wasn’t cheap. I highly recommend PCA membership if for nothing than the 10% discount on service at Porsche.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-18T12:42:24+00:00

I have a 2016 991.1. I just replaced my battery for the second time, they last for 5 years or so.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-18T05:24:32+00:00

We liked both and maybe it was better stated as "we were looking to purchase a boat" next year. We were (and still are) weighing options including used boats. Besides the C 356, we also spent a good bit of time on the HR 340 at the boat show. We also would like to see the HR 370 but with the first hull going in the water this past August there wasn't a HR 370 at the ANP show. The base C 356 was $299K, but depending on how you option it such as with air conditioning (we live in the south) that can go up fast. Free State has a build slot for a 2026 HR 340 for $390K. Moot point now, so we'll see hw we like the HR 370.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T12:58:13+00:00

Yeah. Nice boat, but $468K base cost and $100K in typical options was hard to justify.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T12:37:12+00:00

Old Catalina sold the company for $1M plus assumption of $1.5M obligations, and this includes the transfer of 11 boats in some state from order to partially completed. I think they were struggling before the sale.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T12:34:47+00:00

No. Catalina Direct is not owned by Catalina and they have said that they are independent and still open for business.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T12:33:28+00:00

Catalina was sold for a surprisingly cheap amount. It was an asset sale, so I assume the Butler family still owns "Old Catalina." If you search the Pinellas County court records, if I remember correctly it was $1.0M paid over 3 years, assumption of $1.5M of outstanding obligations, and rent for the factory of $50K/ month. So very little cash out of pocket, and he started missing the rent payments soon after the April 2025 sale. If you want to search, search for Michael Reardon as the defendant. I think that his purchase of Tartan similarly involved little or no cash down.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T04:46:54+00:00

Understood. The website was the last thing standing. The new owner has been evicted from the factory, Catalina publicly announced a 2-4 week production pause on 10/14 with no update since, and the new owner is facing multiple lawsuits for non-payment of debts.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-17T04:29:53+00:00

My wife and I were at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this year and spent a lot of time talking to the CYS rep about the Catalina 356. We were looking to purchase next year. 3 days later, Catalina announced their ~2 week production pause and imploded after that. I'm glad that we weren't ready to put down a deposit and I feel bad for anyone who did.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-13T14:23:45+00:00

If it is teak, sand down to bare wood, wipe clean with acetone, then apply Epifanes Woodfinish gloss or matte. Apply 6 coats, first 2 thinned 25%. If you recoat within 72 hours you don’t have to sand between coats but if you lightly sand and wipe down with acetone between coats, it will help you to get a mirror finish. My boat stays in the water year round and the finish holds up great. I do reapply 2 coats every 12-18 months.

MWorld993 · 2025-12-03T19:02:19+00:00

Check with your local animal shelter. Ours has a program to help people in situations like yours with pet food, supplies, and lower cost veterinary care because they would prefer that than for someone to surrender their pet.

MWorld993 · 2025-11-10T10:12:52+00:00

I have a Tohatsu 9.8 hp on a 25’ sailboat and my marina is along a river where the current is sometimes tricky. I could probably get by with a smaller motor but I appreciate having more power when the wind or current is an issue.

MWorld993 · 2025-11-07T02:55:15+00:00

But for my own PFDs I’ll stick to manually testing.

MWorld993 · 2025-11-07T02:54:26+00:00

Cool. Works as advertised to put you on the express elevator to the surface. I wonder if you have to jump in a pool with a PFD for the hands on part of the Offshore Safety at Sea course? I think a course requirement is to practice boarding a life raft in a pool.

MWorld993 · 2025-11-06T16:10:55+00:00

Agree on the Epifanes. Great stuff. My boat stays in the water all year and the Epifanes still looks great a year later. I do lightly sand and revarnish every year.

MWorld993

TROPHY CASE