< Previous10 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 A nyone who has lived on the upper Texas coast for long has heard a “boat is a hole in the water you throw money into,” and “the two happiest days in a sailor’s life are the day he buys a boat and the day he sells it.” Usually, at least in my experience, it’s the devoted boat owners who wryly recite these old saws while making clear they wouldn’t part with theirs for all the tea in China. Whether they be sleek, curvy yachts or utilitarian alumi- num fishing boats, the vessels for many are not mere holes but windows to adventure and exploration impossible on dry land. There’s something freeing and empowering about helming a boat. “I enjoy the rage of the sea — it could be a normal day or a storm — I just enjoy being out in nature,” Dr. Alfred Poindexter, owner of a 2004 Marlow Explorer 72e yacht, told Coast Monthly writer B. Scott McLendon. “It makes you feel how expansive and powerful the world is and just how small you are — but it gives you a sense of accomplishment.” Financial advisors who tell you boats aren’t wise invest- ments misunderstand the purpose of money, Barry Ritholtz wrote in a Washington Post article in 2015. Ritholtz, chief executive of Ritholtz Wealth Management, is a boat owner, of course. “I am sure you have seen many other such ‘lessons:’ Houses are money pits. Don’t drink expensive lattes. Never install a pool. Don’t go to college. Golf is an expensive hobby. Don’t in- vest in a 401k. Never buy a high-end sports car,” Ritholtz wrote. Ritholtz offers better advice than “never buy a boat.” “Don’t buy things you cannot afford, won’t actually use and that could cause you more pain than pleasure.” Whatever the expense of boat ownership, the people we spoke to for this issue say it’s all very worth it. While working on this issue, I spent a little time at Pelican Rest Marina in Galveston marveling at the beautiful boats. Pure eye candy. But what I was most intrigued by were the creativity and fun and even optimism that goes into naming a boat. Boat naming, a practice around for thousands of years, began when sailors named their vessels after deities and saints in hopes of good fortune and smooth sailing. Obviously, those sailors took great care with naming a boat, lest they meet a tragic end at sea. These days, boat names are clever, funny and sometimes sentimental, which you’ll read in our Shorelines feature in this issue. We wish everyone smooth sailing this summer. LAURA ELDER Coast Monthly editor FROM THE EDITOR WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOATIS YOUR HOME MISBEHAVING? Perform a Forensic Review Mold | Moisture | Warped flooring | High humidity | HVAC failures | Odd smells Indoor health concerns | Contaminates | Staining | Water damage | Comfort issues Swollen trim | Building defects | Bad workmanship | Poor design | Mysteries "We had moisture and construction issues that NO one could solve or address - but Toner Home Matters DID. After diagnosing our issue, we followed the "prescription" we needed. We would venture to say that Toner Home Matters SAVED our home." SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION WWW.TONERHOMEMATTERS.COM Actual Google Review Find out what's wrong, why it happens, and what to do about it12 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 SHORELINES WE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: empty Pockets. And their dinghy was named Spare Change. Jeanie Tinkle Daddy’s Pension. Keith Gray Liquidity. She was a gorgeous 52-foot ketch! Marianne Pascal My business partner David Vasichko’s boat, Never Again VII. Alan Hutchins Liquid Asset and unsinkable II. Rachel Wiley-Janota Retirement Plan. Nelda Engstrom Change Order. Donna VanDewalli Stall Business. “Sorry he’s out on Business. Can I take a message?” Liz Andrews Poverty Sucks. Jeff Heath High Cotton. Chris Glenn Afternoon Delight. Mari Sorrell Tooth and Nail. Owned by dentist and carpenter friends. Wen Maj The Nauti Girl. Kathleen DiNatale Aqua Prozac. Dennis Vaughan Going to the ex. Natalie Fox Maisel Gringo Honeymoon. Ric Legge The Acquaintance. Glynda Parker Oglesby My dad’s shrimp boat — The Big Fisherman. Never was sure if it was named after my dad or Jesus Christ — “Follow me and you will be fishers of men.” Eva Cavazos Reel Salty. Stacey Gottlob Anchor Management. Ellen Whaley False Seas. Susan Chapa Sea-Batical. Phil Newton Sea-dated. Boat was an anesthesiologist’s. Hal Rochkind Baits Motel. LOL! Julie Ghidoni Seaweed express! My tritoon. Jennifer Scofelia Myers I had a little 13-foot 1960s all teak wood Boston Whaler named Petite Bateau. Joanna Pitman Yates Off Tour — it’s an offshore oil rig thing. Jamie Grimes McFarlane Amazing Grace. Gina Spagnola Serena Grazia. Vicky Christie Sea-Magic. Miroslava G Bustamante The Office. Kay Sandor Sweet Revenge. Forest Riggs Old Fart Floater. Tiffany Hanson Heallen My Prozac. Jessica Carr Mine and late husband’s, Denny’s, sailboat — Borderline Thrill. Amber Norris What’s the best boat name you’ve encountered? FILe PHOTO: STuART VILLANueVA Galveston resident Ryan Moody named his boat Sail Pending in reference to his day job as a real estate broker.houstonmethodist.org/pcg/southeast 713.441.7265 Convenient, customized care — close to work or home. Our Houston Methodist primary care doctors provide personalized care for you and your family, including physicals, immunizations and preventive health services. Many of our practices: •Provide in-person and virtual visits with online scheduling •Offer same-day sick visits •Are conveniently located close to work or home •Accept most major insurance plans 45 146 8 Friendswood League City Clear Lake PRIMARY CARE Personalized to You14 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 FEATURE ‘NO STOP SIGNS’ Boat lovers enjoy freedom and adventure on the open sea story by B. SCOTT MCLENDON B oats for centuries have glided across waterways of the upper Texas coast, ferrying all manner of eccentric and important characters to and from its shores. Those characters range from the infamous pirate Jean Laffite 200 years ago to the island-born billionaire Tilman Fertitta, who made waves in 2021 when his 250-foot $150 million yacht Boardwalk departed Feadship’s Aalsmeer shipyard in The Netherlands on its way to sea trials. Fertitta’s original 145-foot Board- walk, named after his Kemah Board- walk entertainment complex, long has been a familiar site at Pier 21 in Galveston and is a venue for his famous pre-San Luis Salute Mardi Gras parties. His new super yacht features seven staterooms, a swimming pool and a helipad, “accommodating Fertit- ta’s favored mode of travel,” according to reports. Laffite’s ship had no such amenities. Those who log such history say his primary ship, The Pride, was a brig- antine — a two-masted sailing vessel with a fully square-rigged foremast, at COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 15 least two sails on the main mast and a square topsail and a gaff mainsail. The Boardwalk is a pleasure craft in the most exacting definition of the term. Laffite’s was, in today’s terms, a commercial boat. Area marinas are brimming with glistening sailboats, multimillion-dollar yachts and all manner of eye-catching vessels. But no matter what manner of boat, owners will tell you they’re con- nected to the sea and part of a strong tradition of exploration. STRENGTH AND SERENITY Slicing through relatively calm bay waters with a vessel larger than most passenger SUVs and trucks can give boaters the false impression that a boat can be more powerful than the PHOTO: CO u RT e SY F e ADSHIP The 250-foot yacht Boardwalk island-born billionaire Tilman Fertitta commissioned in 2016 made waves when it was put out for sea trials. COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 17 FEATURE sea. That notion quickly washes away out on the open ocean, said Bill Co- chrane, who owns Sunset Marina and a pair of vessels. He describes his yacht, a 54-foot 1998 Bertram Sport Fisherman called Good News, as an RV on water, and its compact compartments and trio of close-quarter cabins certainly resem- ble that of a modern mobile vacation unit. Stepping onto Good News, however, evokes an ancient sense of adventure — a feeling of boundless- ness with which the heavily restricted road just can’t compete. Expert sailors and their breathtaking ships globalized the world’s commu- nities through their exploration. And it’s easy to feel that sense of wonder when standing on a vessel that can traverse the globe. Many vessel owners have a close (Top and opposite) Bill Cochrane and his son Bubba motor across Galveston’s Offatts Bayou aboard Good News. (Above) Bill Cochrane describes his 54-foot yacht as an RV on water. PHOTOS: ST u ART VILLAN ue VArelationship with their boats, which can take hours of upkeep a week. Dr. Alfred Poindexter is a Houston obstetrician-gynecologist who spends his leisure time sailing through the waters of the upper Texas coast on his 2004 model 72-foot-long Marlow Explorer 70e, called The Estrella. Alfred and his wife, Lisa, have owned the yacht since 2014, but have been boating since the 1980s. “It has been a journey,” Alfred Poindexter said. “We’ve had multiple sailboats, and every experience is just a little different when you take it out. “In this boat, the two of us are able to handle it, versus the sailboat we had. “I enjoy the rage of the sea — it could be a normal day or a storm — I just enjoy being out in nature. It makes you feel how expansive and powerful the world is and just how small you are — but it gives you a sense of accomplishment. 18 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 FEATURE (Above) Dr. Alfred Poindexter and his wife, Lisa, enjoy being aboard their 2004 Marlow Explorer 72e. They’ve sailed to the Bahamas, Florida and have traversed the Intracoastal Waterway along the Gulf of Mexico from south Texas to Florida. (Opposite, clockwise from top) The main cabin aboard Estrella features a dining area that seats six and a buffet and bar area; the Poindexters’ stateroom aboard their yacht, which is docked at Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, is spacious and features a built in vanity, storage and an ensuite bathroom; The spacious galley features granite countertops and plenty of storage space. PHOTOS: J e NNIF e R R e YNOLDS COASTMONTHLY.COM | JuNe 2023 19 “It doesn’t give you a sense of power, it gives you a sense of want.” Those battles with the sea, which require mental and physical fortitude, leave Alfred with a serene feeling, he said. “You’re by yourself; you’re there with nature and God,” Alfred said. “You get a lot of time to reflect on your being, which is good for an individual to cleanse. It’s like meditating.” Lisa recalled a particularly peace- ful moment that stands out pristine- ly in her memory. In a trip across the Gulf of Mexico, which typically takes The Estrella about three or four days to make, Lisa remembers sailing into very still waters. “We woke up one morning and the area we were in was like ice — it was flat,” Lisa said. “Here we are in the middle of the Gulf, and it’s flat as can be. There isn’t any wind, there aren’t any waves. “Then, all of a sudden, in front of us there is a pod of about nine dol- phins jumping in front of us. That was the only motion at that time. It was incredible.” CHARTING YACHT HISTORY Ask any vessel owner what the difference is between a yacht and a boat, and the answers will vary from size to price, or the more ambiguous “you know it when you see it.” The real definition of a yacht Next >