Each year we will participate in a few conspiracies. A husband or wife will order a boat and say, "Make sure you don't call me at home." Or, "If a man answers, hang up."

     Sometimes it's a boyfriend or girlfriend, or a group of friends, or a son or a daughter, or a group of children buying the boat for a parent. A construction company once bought a boat as a retirement present for one of its employees who was about to retire. Sometimes our boats are anniversary presents or wedding presents. The boat below was a 50th birthday present. The family lives most of the year in Los Angeles but spends part of the summer on Lake George. This was us bringing the boat across the lake. When we got near their cabin, Mom sat in the stern of the boat, the two little girls sat in the bow and David rowed up to the dock with the kids singing, "Happy Birthday, Daddy."

     The photo below was taken the day before Mother's Day. Dad and the twins went to the boatshow and found mom the perfect Mother's Day present.

     The boat below was put in the barn the day before Dad's birthday party. (We always keep red ribbon in the truck, just in case.)

     Drew ordered his boat ahead of time. And then, the day before coming to pick it up, he said, "Do you have another boat, just like mine but in dark blue?" As you can see from her smile, we did.

      Down in the Cape Fear region of North Carolina, Mom and Dad were getting a pair of his and her guideboats.

        As we were loading the boats for the trip out to the island, Dad saw his daughter's interest in the boats and said, "How much do you want for that little boat on top of your truck?"

..

      We gave him a reasonable price and said, "But your boat is already full. How are you going to get the third boat out to the island?"

        Dad said, "Don't worry about that. Do you have an extra piece of rope I can borrow?"

        And away they went.

       If you would like us to set up a surprise for you, we'll craft a gift- certificate or send along a photo of the boat. Or, if time allows, we'll deliver the boat itself.  One note about surprise presents .....try to not  take us by surprise. Place your order early so we can get the boat (or a token representing the boat) to the intended in.  And, yes, we know, if a man answers, (or if a woman answers, if she's the one getting the present) we'll hang up.