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Old 03-30-2015, 09:49 AM   #220
Portuguese
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City: Salvador - BA
Vessel Name: Rainha Jannota
Vessel Model: Curruira 46
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 667
Talking about boats, size of them and happiness, a little story fits in this thread.

Josevaldo Guerra was a school friend 43 years ago. He lived in the same street asI did and we used to go to high school together. I went to college of Engineering and he went to medical school. We have never seen each other again until February 19th 2015. During Rainha Jannota’s second cruise while we were on a hook in a quiet cove, I heard somebody calling my name clearly.While looking around to the 3 or four sailboats, I heard the second question; “Here at you 2 o’clock. We went to high school together, I am Guerrinha, remember?”.The name was familiar and I looked at a 28’ sailboat moored about 300 yards from me.

There he was looking at us with binoculars, I remember he was 1 or 2 years older than me, but he was fit and now he could easily overcome the 350 lbs. I got in my dinghy and went to visit him. He was in the boat with his wife Leida, both in their early 60’s. After refreshing all memories and talking about the past, I asked him at what point in life he decided to have a boat.

“Josevaldo always loved sailing. In his career as a medical doctor in the rural area of my state, he has always been very far from the ocean. Yet, he used to sail in lakes and rivers in Lasers, Class 470, etc. Then, he started to get fat and he never asked why until his joints started to collapse and be a serious problem, 2 years ago when he reached 312 lbs. By then, he was diagnosed with Arthritis rheumatoid. He decided to retire and 2 weeks later he was confined in a wheel chair.

Several months later, on his way to Germany looking for a way to get out of the chair, while in the airport, he decided to buy a second hand sailboat. He called his older son on the phone and asked him to look for a boat so and so to be waiting for him on his return to Brazil. That was almost 2 years ago…

Well the man bought $24k old sailboat, he sails with his wife slowly, no hurries. He is very happy in a very small budget. Kicked his wheel chair to the garage, is back below 275 lbs and basically lives for his pleasure.

When we want to be happy, we do not need to be rich
Portuguese

Guerrinha's sailboat and the mist of early morning.
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Now retired and cruising in calm waters
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rainha_jannota/
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