GREAT EXPECTATIONS

A committed yacht enthusiast seeks a committed builder.

- JAY COYLE

I'M SORRY, SIR. WE cannot service your boat, as its warranty has expired. Here's a list of boatyards."

So stated the terse reply my friend Larry received after he contacted his boat's builder about a leak. "I didn't ask 'em to pay for it. I just asked 'em to fix it," Larry said in disbelief. "I get better support from the damn cable company."

It wasn't his first time being frustrated. A few years back, the rudder of Larry's expedition yacht claimed asylum in Panama and fell to the bottom of the canal on the boat's maiden voyage. He called the builder and was told to call back on Monday because the office was closing for the weekend. "The incident could have crippled international trade, for God's sake," Larry complained. The rudder is still living in Panama, and Larry sold the boat, but he loves to share the story.