rfdfirecaptain
Petty Officer 1st Class
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2008
- Messages
- 314
I see the ?The passing of Don S? page remains very active, with posts as recent as yesterday. Obviously Don used his gift of knowledge to generously help more people that can be counted. On the day I first met Don I was in panic mode. I found iboats.com in a desperate Google search for help with a major mechanical problem. On that day, I could never have imagined the impact Don would have on my life and I feel certain there must be others out there who share similar experiences.
That?s why I am starting this ?Tribute Page To Don S.?, recognizing Don and his unselfish gift of his time and knowledge to this forum, more specifically how Don?s ?gifts? have impacted us personally. A story about how Don has impacted my life is the only way I know to properly honor him and acknowledge his gifts to me. What is your story? Here is mine.
Several weeks ago I came home from boating vacation and read the sad news. I had a sinking feeling in my gut and tightness in my chest. Immediately I visualized Don?s ?Oracle by the Sea? profile photo and I thought of how relieved I was each time I saw that photo on my various ?help wanted desperately? threads. So, I pulled up Don?s profile and it occurred to me that with over 62k posts Don has been very busy at the keyboard and extremely faithful to all of us in our time(s) of need. While looking at Don?s profile I could feel the tears building as my mind started racing with thoughts of how this ?stranger?s? unselfish-kindness has affected my life and that of a others I love.
In the fall of 2007 my boys were outgrowing ?tubing? and they wanted to do more fishing. So, I made my second boat purchase and I upgraded from a 21? bowrider to a 27? cabin cruiser. It was great those first 10 months. We could cook, sleep (potty) watch a little TV and fish all on the boat, never touching land for 3-4 days. The best part for me was there was no XBox, PlayStation, etc. and I was getting in some of the best quality time with my sons who at that time were ages 11 and 12. All was good until the ?first? mechanical problem surfaced early in the summer of 2008. Eventually a series of problems would leave our boat out of service for the remainder, of that summer. During that time I tried to engage my boys in other activities, but it seemed they always had a friend whose dad had something ?better? going on and they were always invited. I knew I needed to get our boat repaired and get it back on the water if I was going to regain their interest.
I was a single dad with half custody of my 2 boys. I had dumped a lot of money into a boat that my surveyor said would be a ?reliable boat?; and I was still making payments on it! Where was I going to get the money to pay for repairs? Forgetting the fact that I am not a mechanic, I had only some basic tools and even less diagnostic knowledge; I was determined to repair our boat and I went searching for ?how to? information on the Internet. Just when I was about to give up and sell our boat for parts, I found iboats.com and posted my first plea for help on August 17, 2008 at 12:44 PM. It began like so many others, ?Hello, I?m new to the site?.? and at 12:55 PM, just 10 minutes later, Don S. replied back with the diagnosis and he sent me a shop manual.
With repairs underway I was continuously posting follow up questions to various threads I had started and I did so at all hours of the day. At times I wondered when Don slept because he was always quick to reply and many times he left a very detailed reply. Other times Don was brief, but each time he would attach a shop manual, or diagram that I needed, and would otherwise never find if looking for it on my own. Just last year Don told me in a private message that he has spent $77 each year to subscribe to 4shared.com to make file sharing with folks like me easier. With Don?s diagnosis, advice, shop manuals, encouragement and his availability as a security net, I have successfully tackled some big repair items that were way above my skill level. So far my major repairs have been a complete engine swap out, a complete rebuild of my sterndrive and a major internal repair to my sterndrive after getting tangled in some floating crabpot rope. Yes, there were other repairs that left us stranded here and there, but the point is I went from having no confidence to thinking that with Don S. in my corner there is no mechanical/electrical project I cannot meet head on. Ultimately, it?s because of the confidence Don helped create in me these past few years, that I now know how to troubleshoot most mechanical/electrical issues with my boat. In my opinion the knowledge Don shared with me and my hands on experience has transformed me from a boat ?operator? into a fairly decent boat ?skipper?. Three times I have been able to address a disabling issue while on the water. In each case my ability to make the repair was a direct result of the knowledge and experience I gained in earlier projects in which Don had assisted me. Yes, some of these repairs were a lot of trouble, but quickly I found out I could depend on Don to show up and help me get through the worst of it. He was so faithful to keep a watch on my thread updates, at times guiding me just one step at a time. Today, I?m glad I didn?t sell our boat and without a doubt Don S. is the reason why I kept it and eventually got it back on the water with reasonable mechanical reliability.
Here are some of the ?affects? of all my work and Don?s knowledge that went into the rebirth of this boat. In these past few years our boat has given me a lot of up close time with my boys who are now 17 and 18 years old. I feel incredibly close to them and each time we?re out on the water it just gets better. The memories we made (and are still making) I will cherish forever. Without this boat I would have missed out on many great conversations when we all left life?s problems back at the dock and we gave each other our undivided attention. Plus, having this boat made ME the dad who had the popular ?drawing card?. And yes, I have taken my boys and their friends out fishing several times, on the lake and off shore. Someday I hope my sons will realize what the time we spent on this boat means to their father. Regardless, to help them grow individually, it?s important me that I let them know now how a stranger?s kindness made all these great times possible.
Also, I have a cousin whom I love like my own son. He never had a dad to love him the way I have tried to love my 2 sons. Through the years I have hauled him around with my boys whenever we were doing fun things. He always said he was going to follow me into the fire service, but he fell in love with the power company and he became a lineman. Unafraid of heights, he was paralyzed in a long-fall accident in the spring of 2012, while clowning around with friends. He was an avid outdoorsman and he too loved to fish. Our boat, unlike a center console, bowrider etc. gave him some freedom to move about in his wheelchair and the cabin and its amenities provided refuge for all his needs. It took me a while to convince him he could manage his ?situation? on our boat and that he would enjoy fishing once again. Finally I got him on our boat for an overnighter. The fishing was horrible, but he took a giant step forward toward finding a ?new normal? in his life. About 6 weeks later, in the fall of 2012 and after just turning 21 years old he was accidentally killed by his best friend, who is also paralyzed, in a hunting accident. That fishing trip was the last significantly fun thing he, my boys and I did together. Without Don S. I would not have had this boat. Without this boat my cousin would not have been able to enjoy his love of fishing, from a boat, one last time before his death and my boys and I would not have been able to be a part of that experience.
I remarried in summer of 2009. For our honeymoon, my wife and I took our boat 400 miles round trip on the ICW. That trip opened our eyes to a different kind of traveling and vacationing. It sparked a salt water curiosity and we have since explored other coastal waterways connecting friendly ports. Without this boat we would never have known the peace and quiet of a path less traveled, through beautiful wildlife-populated nature scenes like the Great Dismal Swamp.
I?ve only scratched the surface, but clearly you can see this boat has changed our lives in a positive way and it has provided opportunities to create many precious memories. I credit Don S. with making ALL these things possible. Without Don, and out of frustration, I probably would not even own a boat right now. I wish I would have taken the time to send Don a letter and let him know how his gift of knowledge to me has been multiplied and extended to my family and several friends.
Things won?t be the same on this forum without Don. I?ll always have a strong regret that I never took the time to send him that letter. When I survey all that is good in my life I know much of it revolves around the family boat and I give Don ALL the credit for bringing me to where I am now, with it mechanically. I can?t believe there was a time when I was ready to cut my losses from this clunker. Don helped me rebuild a dependable boat, and in turn that boat has helped me build, rebuild, strengthen and cherish the most important relationships in my life.
Finally, if time has its way and I die before my loved ones I feel certain the memories they recall about their time with me will be filled with boating stories. I can only hope the family of Don S. is aware and proud of how Don?s gifts to others has brought friends and families closer together, while creating memories that will last them for a lifetime. And if not, maybe someday Don's family will read this page.
Keith Wilder
Raleigh, NC
That?s why I am starting this ?Tribute Page To Don S.?, recognizing Don and his unselfish gift of his time and knowledge to this forum, more specifically how Don?s ?gifts? have impacted us personally. A story about how Don has impacted my life is the only way I know to properly honor him and acknowledge his gifts to me. What is your story? Here is mine.
Several weeks ago I came home from boating vacation and read the sad news. I had a sinking feeling in my gut and tightness in my chest. Immediately I visualized Don?s ?Oracle by the Sea? profile photo and I thought of how relieved I was each time I saw that photo on my various ?help wanted desperately? threads. So, I pulled up Don?s profile and it occurred to me that with over 62k posts Don has been very busy at the keyboard and extremely faithful to all of us in our time(s) of need. While looking at Don?s profile I could feel the tears building as my mind started racing with thoughts of how this ?stranger?s? unselfish-kindness has affected my life and that of a others I love.
In the fall of 2007 my boys were outgrowing ?tubing? and they wanted to do more fishing. So, I made my second boat purchase and I upgraded from a 21? bowrider to a 27? cabin cruiser. It was great those first 10 months. We could cook, sleep (potty) watch a little TV and fish all on the boat, never touching land for 3-4 days. The best part for me was there was no XBox, PlayStation, etc. and I was getting in some of the best quality time with my sons who at that time were ages 11 and 12. All was good until the ?first? mechanical problem surfaced early in the summer of 2008. Eventually a series of problems would leave our boat out of service for the remainder, of that summer. During that time I tried to engage my boys in other activities, but it seemed they always had a friend whose dad had something ?better? going on and they were always invited. I knew I needed to get our boat repaired and get it back on the water if I was going to regain their interest.
I was a single dad with half custody of my 2 boys. I had dumped a lot of money into a boat that my surveyor said would be a ?reliable boat?; and I was still making payments on it! Where was I going to get the money to pay for repairs? Forgetting the fact that I am not a mechanic, I had only some basic tools and even less diagnostic knowledge; I was determined to repair our boat and I went searching for ?how to? information on the Internet. Just when I was about to give up and sell our boat for parts, I found iboats.com and posted my first plea for help on August 17, 2008 at 12:44 PM. It began like so many others, ?Hello, I?m new to the site?.? and at 12:55 PM, just 10 minutes later, Don S. replied back with the diagnosis and he sent me a shop manual.
With repairs underway I was continuously posting follow up questions to various threads I had started and I did so at all hours of the day. At times I wondered when Don slept because he was always quick to reply and many times he left a very detailed reply. Other times Don was brief, but each time he would attach a shop manual, or diagram that I needed, and would otherwise never find if looking for it on my own. Just last year Don told me in a private message that he has spent $77 each year to subscribe to 4shared.com to make file sharing with folks like me easier. With Don?s diagnosis, advice, shop manuals, encouragement and his availability as a security net, I have successfully tackled some big repair items that were way above my skill level. So far my major repairs have been a complete engine swap out, a complete rebuild of my sterndrive and a major internal repair to my sterndrive after getting tangled in some floating crabpot rope. Yes, there were other repairs that left us stranded here and there, but the point is I went from having no confidence to thinking that with Don S. in my corner there is no mechanical/electrical project I cannot meet head on. Ultimately, it?s because of the confidence Don helped create in me these past few years, that I now know how to troubleshoot most mechanical/electrical issues with my boat. In my opinion the knowledge Don shared with me and my hands on experience has transformed me from a boat ?operator? into a fairly decent boat ?skipper?. Three times I have been able to address a disabling issue while on the water. In each case my ability to make the repair was a direct result of the knowledge and experience I gained in earlier projects in which Don had assisted me. Yes, some of these repairs were a lot of trouble, but quickly I found out I could depend on Don to show up and help me get through the worst of it. He was so faithful to keep a watch on my thread updates, at times guiding me just one step at a time. Today, I?m glad I didn?t sell our boat and without a doubt Don S. is the reason why I kept it and eventually got it back on the water with reasonable mechanical reliability.
Here are some of the ?affects? of all my work and Don?s knowledge that went into the rebirth of this boat. In these past few years our boat has given me a lot of up close time with my boys who are now 17 and 18 years old. I feel incredibly close to them and each time we?re out on the water it just gets better. The memories we made (and are still making) I will cherish forever. Without this boat I would have missed out on many great conversations when we all left life?s problems back at the dock and we gave each other our undivided attention. Plus, having this boat made ME the dad who had the popular ?drawing card?. And yes, I have taken my boys and their friends out fishing several times, on the lake and off shore. Someday I hope my sons will realize what the time we spent on this boat means to their father. Regardless, to help them grow individually, it?s important me that I let them know now how a stranger?s kindness made all these great times possible.
Also, I have a cousin whom I love like my own son. He never had a dad to love him the way I have tried to love my 2 sons. Through the years I have hauled him around with my boys whenever we were doing fun things. He always said he was going to follow me into the fire service, but he fell in love with the power company and he became a lineman. Unafraid of heights, he was paralyzed in a long-fall accident in the spring of 2012, while clowning around with friends. He was an avid outdoorsman and he too loved to fish. Our boat, unlike a center console, bowrider etc. gave him some freedom to move about in his wheelchair and the cabin and its amenities provided refuge for all his needs. It took me a while to convince him he could manage his ?situation? on our boat and that he would enjoy fishing once again. Finally I got him on our boat for an overnighter. The fishing was horrible, but he took a giant step forward toward finding a ?new normal? in his life. About 6 weeks later, in the fall of 2012 and after just turning 21 years old he was accidentally killed by his best friend, who is also paralyzed, in a hunting accident. That fishing trip was the last significantly fun thing he, my boys and I did together. Without Don S. I would not have had this boat. Without this boat my cousin would not have been able to enjoy his love of fishing, from a boat, one last time before his death and my boys and I would not have been able to be a part of that experience.
I remarried in summer of 2009. For our honeymoon, my wife and I took our boat 400 miles round trip on the ICW. That trip opened our eyes to a different kind of traveling and vacationing. It sparked a salt water curiosity and we have since explored other coastal waterways connecting friendly ports. Without this boat we would never have known the peace and quiet of a path less traveled, through beautiful wildlife-populated nature scenes like the Great Dismal Swamp.
I?ve only scratched the surface, but clearly you can see this boat has changed our lives in a positive way and it has provided opportunities to create many precious memories. I credit Don S. with making ALL these things possible. Without Don, and out of frustration, I probably would not even own a boat right now. I wish I would have taken the time to send Don a letter and let him know how his gift of knowledge to me has been multiplied and extended to my family and several friends.
Things won?t be the same on this forum without Don. I?ll always have a strong regret that I never took the time to send him that letter. When I survey all that is good in my life I know much of it revolves around the family boat and I give Don ALL the credit for bringing me to where I am now, with it mechanically. I can?t believe there was a time when I was ready to cut my losses from this clunker. Don helped me rebuild a dependable boat, and in turn that boat has helped me build, rebuild, strengthen and cherish the most important relationships in my life.
Finally, if time has its way and I die before my loved ones I feel certain the memories they recall about their time with me will be filled with boating stories. I can only hope the family of Don S. is aware and proud of how Don?s gifts to others has brought friends and families closer together, while creating memories that will last them for a lifetime. And if not, maybe someday Don's family will read this page.
Keith Wilder
Raleigh, NC
