Excerpt from "Knee-Deep in Shavings", Norman C. Blanchard with Stephen Wilen, 1999:

     Very soon after the War was over Dad got a call from the broker at Washington Boat Center, who said, "I've got one of your boats over here. People are mostly are picking up anything they think can make do."  He went on, "It's an estate situation and the owner wants her sold. Come over and take a look at her."

    Dad said, "Sure," and he did, and it was a standardized, raised-deck cruiser we'd built for a man named Art Webb. His business was the American Tar Company, also at the foot fo Wallingford Avenue, and the boat was called "Susie", still carrying her original name.

    Finally, after he'd looked it all over, Dad asked, "Well, what are you asking for her?"

    The broker said, "$2,500."

    Dad said, "I'll buy her for that."

    He had the boat hauled and in the process of cleaning it the bilge got filled with water. Dad drilled a hole in one of the garboards to drain the bilge, but he forgot to plug it before he put the boat back in the water, so she went down by the bow up to the fo'c's'le lockers. My father was not a person to make mistakes like that.

    Well, he and Mother had that boat until he died in 1954, and it was a wonderful thing because for the first time in his business and married life, he was able to leave and be gone for a week or ten days, maybe even three weeks.  He rarely did, of course, but he and Mother enjoyed the boat a long while, and always kept her in good shape.