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3444 Marinatown Lane
N.W. * North Fort Myers FL 33903
1-800-262-7939 *
239-656-1339 * Email:
info@swfyachts.com
E-Yardarm
February 2006
Happy
Valentine’s Day!
 Yippee!!
Did you hear the news?
You can cruise Southwest Florida this Summer or Fall and Save!
Announcing our 2006 Summer
Sail and Power Charter Specials!
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August, September and
October, 2006
2 FREE Days with a 3-day or longer charter
 !*
FOR
EXAMPLE, PAY THE 3-DAY LOW SEASON RATE AND TAKE A 5-DAY CRUISE OR
PAY FOR 5 AND TAKE 7 DAYS!
*charter must begin on or after 8/1/06 and end on or before 10/31/06.
Everyone’s in a hurry to reserve their summer
cruising dates so call us soon! | |
Editor’s Note:
In this month
filled with love, this is a story of one man’s love of life and his
determination to succeed against some pretty incredible odds.
I invite you to meet Dave Jossi.
 Dream
on. Really.
By Barb Hansen
Isn’t it funny
how you can be on top of the world one day and as low as low can go the
next? Actually, in real life it’s not so funny.
Late in 2004 Dave Jossi came to our offices at Southwest Florida Yachts
and told me his story.
In 1997, he was on top of the world. Not only did he have a great job with
a fast-paced, high-stress (and top-dollar) firm in Washington, DC, he also
played as hard as he worked. He rode horses, raced down ski slopes, dove
on reefs and wrecks, hopped mountain bikes down rocky trails—you get the
picture.
Although not a boater, Dave was interested in boating. “I really wanted
our family to get involved in boating but my wife was opposed from the
beginning. Every time the subject was raised she would laugh and say that
it would never work since, she claimed, she got seasick walking across a
wet lawn.”
That summer, however, Dave’s life changed forever. In mid-July, he came
down with what seemed to be a bad case of the flu. But he also noticed a
rash on the back of his leg. Not one but two physicians assured him that
it was caused by a simple spider bite.
A month later, in
Houston on business,
he awoke and realized that the left side of his face was paralyzed.
Worried he might end up hospitalized far from home Dave took the next
flight to Washington. Now the diagnosis was Bell’s Palsy.
His condition continued to deteriorate. He began experiencing excruciating
back pain and double vision. This time Dave’s physician accurately
diagnosed his condition as a severe case of Lyme disease and put him in
the hospital. Tests showed that the disease had spread to his central
nervous system.
Industrial strength IV antibiotics helped alleviate the worst of his
symptoms but his struggle really had just begun. With unrelenting back
pain and severe fatigue Dave found the demands of the job he once found so
challenging to now be overwhelming. Determined not to give up without a
struggle, however, he hung on for an entire year before it became obvious
to everyone, even himself, that he simply wasn’t up to the task.
Once on disability Dave focused all his remaining energy on finding
physicians who he hoped might resolve his mounting physical problems. His
initial efforts led to an expert in pain management who was able to bring
the excruciating pain in his spine under control using an intrathecal
pump. Implanted in the abdomen, the pump supplies a steady and strong
stream of pain medication to the base of his spine.
He continued to seek medical help for his condition. Expert after expert
told him that his symptoms were beyond their experience and that there was
little they could do for him. He did his very best to maintain a positive
attitude despite these setbacks until the truly crushing blow came. His
wife of 28-years announced that she was “running away from home at age
47.” She could no longer handle the pressure of watching him deteriorate
day after day.
His life collapsing around him, Dave was desperate to find something
positive to help him regain some sense of hope. That was when the dream of
owning a boat came back to him.
Despite being bed-ridden for long periods, Dave had no problem learning
more about boating through books, magazines and the Internet. He
discovered our
website and set up an appointment.
When he visited Dave told me about his boating dream. As I explained, he
would need to gain practical experience through courses, boat clubs,
chartering or purchasing a small, easily-managed boat. With that base of
knowledge plus a firm idea of what he wanted, it would be time to seek the
services of a broker to help him find the right boat.
First things first. In December, 2004 Dave completed two back to back
courses, a six-day liveaboard session with our Captain Greg Corsones,
Powerboat 101 and Powerboat 102 at Florida Sailing & Cruising School. He
was a star.
 My
star student visited us again late in 2005. He was even more hooked on
boating than before and we talked about taking his boating dream to the
next step.
There’s more to Dave’s story, and his boating dream, which we’ll bring to
you in another Newsletter. Will he stay hooked on boating? Will he buy a
boat? Stay tuned.
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Announcing our
“Summer School” Special!
Take your family
“back to summer school” and save on any sail or power boating course
this summer.
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Pay for 3
students and the 4th is FREE
From June 1-September 30, 2006. |
Take any sail or power
class and pay the full course rate for three (3) students
and the 4th student is free.*
*class must begin on or after 6/1/06 and end on or before 9/30/06.
*Maximum 4 students per vessel.
 Bring
the kids! Bring the grandkids!
Summer is a great time to go boating. Plan
to take the family to Power Boating or Sailing School this summer
and save some money, too!
YACHTS WANTED – NOW!
 We
have a critical need for additional late-model Sail and Power yachts to
join our fleet! We especially need sailboats from 35-40 feet and
trawlers and motoryachts between 35 and 45 feet.
If you currently own a yacht that you may not have the time to use, or
wish to purchase a boat now as your "floating retirement plan",
give Vic or Barb Hansen a call.
With our sail and power courses, and sail and power charters, the demand
for yachts exceeds our supply.
If you would like some income to help offset the cost of boat ownership,
or wish to have your investment in a yacht protected by having regular
usage and proper maintenance, you might want to consider charter yacht
ownership.
Also, if you are interested in placing your boat with a company that is a
leader in the charter and boating education industry and has a reputation
for excellence, please consider the company with a proven record for over
20 years - Southwest Florida Yachts, Inc. Plus, we are located in one of
the finest year-round cruising areas in the world!
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