Hatteras Connection--34 Years Ago

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

This won't mean anything to anyone but me, but I think it's kinda cool. Please allow me to tell the story.

In 2015, I bought a 1983 Hatteras 55C. In 1983 I was the newly promoted president of a wholesale distributorship in Columbia, SC. We sold high-end appliance lines in the Carolinas. In this case, I'm taking about the Jenn-Air brand. We took on the line in 1968 and dealt directly with the inventor and original manufacturer, Louis J. Jenn. The concept was so new that Lou Jenn had a hard time establishing distribution. Many an established company would rue the day they turned that deal down. My dad took a chance, and with the order of exactly two units secured distribution rights.

Amongst the boxes of records that came with Aslan, was the original sales invoice for the boat. Hull 343 was originally sold to a Ford dealer in Tampa, FL ($478,000). Listed among all the paperwork for the hundreds of items that made up #343 were spec sheets and service contact information for those various products. I saw that a Jenn-Air range-top was OEM on my boat. Knowing the product required downdraft ducting, I poked around in the void between the galley (up) and the hull. I found the original vent that had been subsequently glassed over. There's also a slight color mismatch on the exterior of the hull where the vent was removed.

I had forgotten that Hatteras Yachts was a customer back then. I do remember shipping to them, but they were a strictly low volume account. I paid a brief visit to them in High Point with one of my salesmen at some point. I do recall, they were not too prompt in paying; AMF owned them then.

I dug deeper into the paperwork and found an old telephone number to call if the appliances needed service. It was mine. My company also coordinated the service and parts network in the Carolinas. I had no idea in 1983 that I'd ever own a Hat. In 2015, I had no idea that I had sold the original appliances in my Hat. It is a small world.

I must add that this was a better outcome than one other similar time. My service manager and I couldn't get a Scotsman ice machine working in Myrtle Beach in the late '80's. Frustrated, I looked for the local service company's number in the back of the owner's manual--I found it, it was mine! Plan B.

[Walter P]

Interesting story Robert. It has to feel good that you actually had a part to play in the building of your boat. I wonder how much your boat would cost today if it were still being built.

Walt

[Freeebird]

That's a great story for sure. Funny how things like that can happen.

I shared a similar story (not as good as yours) after I bought my 41 eleven years ago. The then wife had spent some time alone on the boat adding her personal touches, and I found some signed and numbered, framed prints from an artist friend of mine in a drawer that I assumed she had brought down and not yet put up. I didn't recognize them and asked where she found them.

Turned out she had nothing to do with them, and they had been left on the boat by the previous owners. I asked them about the prints, and the previous owners to them had also left them on the boat. Funny how those prints made it from my friend in NC to Michigan, then to me via a boat purchase.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Oh no, yours is better and your dams are taller too.

Then there's the dreaded case of mistaken identity.

A local travel agent sent a letter addressed to me asking me to rate her services booking my recent cruise. Well that didn't go over too well at home seeing as how I hadn't been on any cruises--recent or otherwise. The travel agent lady wasn't too helpful over the phone, maybe it was my attitude, I dunno. So I paid her a visit the next day--bright and early I might add--and got her to make the REQUIRED call. Turns out there are two Robert Clarksons around here, and one of us liked Carnival cruises. Right regularly for the next ten years after that little screw up I was still getting the 'are you sure there's nothing you want to tell me' routine.

Life is better now, for me at least. The other Robert C is deceased. He happened to be a disbarred lawyer, tax protester (served fed. time) and a Confederate Battle Flag supporter. In other words, Robert B. Clarkson was in the news a good bit. Can't tell you how many cards and letters I got (and requests for interviews) when that gig was up and running. A good many folks as I found out, often times graphically, were none too pleased with ole Robert B. Hell, my own high school homeroom teacher (Caroline Clarkson, distant cousin!!!) congratulated me for having been president of the USC student body at a wedding some years back. I never attended USC.

Now this one might be a smidge better than yours.

[Avenger]

I love these "connection" stories. Six degrees of separation type of thing I guess, but they always intrigue me.

[Freeebird]

Well, believe it or not, I have a mistaken identity story that MIGHT just top yours! I'm almost afraid to share it given the dam lock thing, but here goes!

I had been married about a year, and when I came home from work one evening, my wife had a very interesting story to tell me. It would seem some young lady was searching high and low for Randy Register who was her father! As you may well imagine, there aren't that many Randy Register's around, and I just happened to have lived in Florida years earlier where she claimed her mother was from and named me as her daddy!

The wife was surprisingly understanding and knew I had lived in Florida before I met her. I'll spare you the details, but after doing the math along with looking at other details this young lady provided, I knew I wasn't responsible. Uh, maybe I had better rephrase that as I would have taken responsibility had there been the slightest possibility that I had committed parenthood with her mother. No doubt it was a tense conversation to have, but my wife believed me. I hope that girl found "her" Randy Register, but I never heard from her again.

Now then, you got a good maiden voyage story you wanna toss out there?

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Nothing that I going to share.

I'm glad I'm get'n old. Climbing out windows or spending the night backed in a corner with a pistol in my hand are strictly for the young.

[Freeebird]

I've done neither of those things, so you're safe with this round.

[jim rosenthal]

A story from when I first moved to Norfolk:

Evidently there was another Jim Rosenthal living in the area. This was 1982, so no cell phone, no web, etc. Just phone books.

The other JR was in the military. He was an officer of some kind, I can't remember what rank.

My phone would ring and someone would ask for Jim Rosenthal- I'd say, "this is him", and they'd start talking, and at some point they'd realize they had the wrong guy. And they'd hang up.

Finally I got someone to stay on the line long enough to tell me about the other Jim Rosenthal- he was in the military, he hung out at the Officer's Club at Oceana a lot, evidently.

So when they called, I would just tell them, "Oh, you want the other Jim Rosenthal. He's at the Officer's Club at Oceana"

Never got a call back. Must have worked.

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Time bomb. Glad I'm the one who found this little grenade while blindly shoving a vacuum cleaner hose in a compartment in my stateroom. Now, to look up PO's address to return his personal property.