The Annapolis TRAWLER PORT was an exciting event. I had an opportunity to meet and talk with a lot of folks that had called or written over the years and a lot more who simply stopped by. I also participated with Charlie Morgan, Chris Washburn and PM editor Bill in a question and answer session for about 250 current and "would be" trawler owners. What sticks with me after the event is the same concern that I feel after a busy day on the telephone: People are forgetting the goal and getting hung up on the specifics.

Bulb bows or no bulbs? Stabilizers: active, passive or none? Should the hull be fiberglass, steel, aluminum, wood composite, or papyrus reed?

My wisdom for today is "chill": It is just a boat. Don’t let the endless number of questions and countless options stop you from just buying a boat and cruising. That in the end is the simple goal; everything else is a detail. Here is another truth that I learned from buying computers. "Whatever you buy today will not necessarily be what you want two years from now." The ones that win are those who actually get out on the water and cruise (even if the boat is not the perfect one for them). The ones that ultimately lose are the ones who spend the rest of their life planning to do it.