Soundings May 2022

Have you ever wondered what retirement will really look like? It’s hailed as the ultimate achievement after a lifetime of working, but can it live up to your expectations? For Mike Gragtmans, 61, who took the plunge, the answer is yes; in large part because of a boat. In early 2020, Gragtmans was working for Mitsubishi Chemical, running worldwide operations for one of its divisions. A true road warrior, he traveled internationally for at least three weeks each month, often stopping in multiple countries within a single week. It was a fun job, he says, but it could be grueling. He was in a Tokyo hotel one night when his brother Jost called. “He said, ‘I think I found our boat,’” Gragtmans says. “A 2015 Jeanneau 37 was up for…

You might be interested in a more detailed history of the Wasque 32, which was featured in your March issue (Used Boat). I was a participant in her Vineyard career and legacy. The Wasque 32 came to the Vineyard around 1967. The boat’s name was Merlin and she was owned by George Mattasian, who wanted to start an Oyster farm on the Great Pond in Edgartown. His proposal was turned down by the town, so he sold the boat to my father, Tom Hale. We never knew who designed or built it, but we were told it was a Jonesport lobster boat. Tom Hale, together with Rupert C. Thompson and Robert M. Love Jr., had Martha’s Vineyard Shipyard remove the superstructure, roll the boat over and make a two-piece fiberglass…

When Sir Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men headed their stout wooden ship Endurance into Antarctica’s Weddell Sea in December 1914, they had high hopes but few illusions about the “evil conditions” they were up against: subzero temperatures, hurricane-force winds, uncharted waters and lands. Above all, they faced “a gigantic and interminable jigsaw puzzle devised by nature”—pack ice. Today, ships in this region are reinforced steel, satellites provide data to create accurate ice maps, sophisticated programs can pinpoint drift within the pack and communications can even work via smartphone on WhatsApp. But none of this changes what still dominates this world and anyone who ventures into it: ice. “The sea ice in itself is amazing to sail into, and normal ocean mariners will be in disbelief the first…

In February, the Canadian brand FortNine acquired Connecticut-based Defender Industries, which, since 1938, has been a go-to shop for boaters seeking reasonably priced gear, inflatables and outboard motors. The deal may seem odd to boaters at first, given that FortNine is a leading online supplier of gear for motorcycles, dirt bikes and ATVs. But the internet retail prowess that FortNine has established since it was founded in 2009—by a guy who couldn’t find an affordable motorcycle helmet in his local stores—is expected to become like a rocket booster for Defender. Until now, Defender’s marketing plan has been based around a printed catalog that company founder Sheldon Lance created in 1960. The first catalog was about 35 pages; the last one came out in 2019 with about 60,000 products. “Up until…

Most anglers who look forward to fishing in the early spring waste no time prepping their gear. They’ll put fresh line on the reels, set drags and sharpen hooks. But whether you are aiming to brawl with bluefish or hunt striped bass with mossbunker, one of the most critical factors for success is a seaworthy boat. It too needs to be prepped to ensure it can get you out there and back safely. Admittedly, when the call comes in that the fish are chomping, an angler’s enthusiasm for a bent rod may take precedence over finishing those remaining maintenance jobs on the boat. Cosmetic chores—like a final coat of wax for the stainless-steel bowrail—can wait, but that’s not true for important safety procedures, like making sure the boat’s navigation electronics…

He had giant hands, with fingers the circumference of quarters. Scarred, scratched, calloused and rough. Shaking his hand was like shaking a catcher’s mitt. But somehow he could tie intricate fishing knots. He could fix damn near anything, and whether it flew, floated or rolled, he could drive it. He opened an autobody shop at age 16 and stayed in business until he passed away last November at 78. He built tow trucks and dump trucks. He dabbled in real estate and restaurants. He served for decades as a volunteer firefighter. And he fished harder than anyone I knew growing up. For 35 years, he lived with my mom. Though they never officially married, I called him my stepdad. The stepparent thing can be a roll of the dice. I…