When I was young (less than 10), we either lived on the water or had a summer place on the water. Some of my fondest memories are of going out in our row boat with my dad. I also became interested in ships when I was in second grade because of rowing around the mothball fleet that was moored in front of our house on South Puget Sound. After my dad died, when I was 9, my mom wouldn't let us go to the water, so I got my fix by reading sailing novels and books about ships. When I got my drivers license, my first solo trip was to go up to Puget Sound to look at boats. So my feelings about boating go back to my early years and experiences with my dad.

I also find boats and ships technically interesting. Now I find that I get about the same level of pleasure from working on boats as I do from actually using them