In my conversations about Clock Work with interested parties, I've noticed that sometimes I slip into perspectives on systems that simply are not something most encounter in everyday life. Or said another way, I'm weird and it leaks out. A lot. Of the many, many great (and otherwise) people I've met at my marina over the years, there are literally just two guys there who come from lifetimes where they have engaged in "thinking for a living" (excuse this term from my day job), and who have taken that over the years to achieve the epitome of experience and practice of care for their yachts. It is been my enormous good fortune to have enjoyed in a years-long dialectic about.... things... machinery... operating principles... design/fabricating.. failure diagnosis and recovery, etc. I have learned from both, and sincerely hope they have maybe picked something up from me. Sadly, I can recall not one discussion about how beautiful that day's sunset was, but let's call that room to grow!
I was honored these two friends wrote the following sympathetic views of my aforementioned weirdness and related observations of my time with Clock Work. My only hope is to reduce that "WTF is he talking about" look on people's faces when I slip into that not-everyday perspective, and perhaps deliver a dose of counter-battery fire to spew from that idiot broker who likes to slip in little comments about CW and my care of it because I fired him. Please excuse that I have anonymized the note here to protect their privacy and mine from the privacy-raping machinery of the internet but the signed copies would be made available to any serious parties. I consider myself extremely fortunate that no mention was made of any proclivity on my part for the crudest possible humor, so, as far as you know, I'm not like that.
Endorsement A
This is a character reference for M---------------- and a description of the maintenance that I have observed while he has owned, operated and cared for the motor vessel Clock Work.
M-------------- is a genuine, bright and honorable individual. I have known him for approximately twenty years as an acquaintance and we have been close friends for approximately ten years. M--- and I have had long deep discussions relating to numerous engineering topics. The discussions have predominantly been to resolve mechanical issues aboard our yachts, issues related to aviation and electrical engineering.
As a Professor of Engineering M--- taught problem resolution theory as well as didactic engineering courses. He has clear understanding of advanced electrical, electronic and systems theory. He’s one of a few people alive today that actually understands the nature of mechanical failure in machinery and electronic/computer systems and can relate this understanding to real world problem solving.
M--- is also fastidious and meticulous in his engineering and mechanical build techniques. His clarity of thought and detail orientated nature is evident in the projects he completes. He’s designed and built systems that exceed engineering standards created for the most grueling environments. His maintenance of Clock Work has been completed to the same exacting standards. Every project he’s undertaken to improve the systems and every maintenance that I have witnessed has been finished to the very highest level of excellence. M--- has gone to great lengths to make absolutely certain that his vessel has been cared for significantly better than the currently available standard of professionals in the marine industry. The machinery spaces have all been kept perfectly clean. The ambient environment has benefited from dehumidification and air filtration during M---’s ownership. And the equipment has received any and all care to keep Clock Work in Bristol fashion.
I am an offshore yacht owner with 35 years of experience and have interacted with amateur and professional yachtsmen for as long. I have extensive experience operating and maintaining offshore yachts while operating and delivering them from first world and third nations. I am not a qualified marine surveyor, but in thirty-five years I have only seen a few professionally managed yachts that have received the same extraordinary care that M--- has provided for Clock Work.
Endorsement B
I am a boat owner / operator, with a USCG 100 ton License, and a retired Delta Air lines International Air Lines Captain, with 40 years of flying experience.
I have known M-------------- and Clock Work for about 10 years. M--- is a close friend and an extraordinary person with many talents and a worldwide reputation for solving complex Electrical / Electronic problems, but he is also a fine machinist, with his own very impressive machine shop. He has also loved boats for many years and has extensive experience with both sail and power.
M--- also appreciates other fine machinery, which includes vehicles of all kinds, cars, motorcycles and even fine watches and clocks, hence Clock Work. I am convinced that M--- could produce the perfect automobile with his feel for the mechanics and the electronics, given a free hand.
Clock work has benefited from his caring ownership and expertise. He has made carefully considered changes where they would improve the boat, always with top quality being the goal. Clock work is a unique boat, with the Cummins 6 CT being a the top of my list, having a great reputation and the added reliability of mechanical fuel injection. That extra feature is of great importance for a long range cruising boat, and M---'s thruster arrangement adds greatly to the close-in maneuverability. Clock Work was lightly used and extremely well cared for.