FUBAR Odyssey: Presented by San Diego Yacht Club and Mexico Tourism Board

TUSSLER

BOAT NAME: Tussler BOAT TYPE: Everett Converted Tug SKIPPER: Mike McLeod EXPERIENCE: 46 Years CLUB: San Diego Yacht Club BUILT: 1950 PURCHASED: 1999
FAVORITE DESTINATION: Hawaii, the Northwest, Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida Keys, Catalina, Channel Islands ... it doesn't matter, just being aboard!
FAVORITE BOATING EXPERIENCE: Terrible weather and conditions... You absolutely hate it at the time but it makes for the best stories later. A close friend said never let the truth get in the way of a good story. 50 knots of wind and ten foot seas turn into 70 knots and twenty foot seas. It is always great to tie up after getting abused at sea!
ABOUT THE CREW: My son, Andrew, will be the official skipper for this trip. He has a 100 ton license and swears he's not listening to the old guy this time. Bob Vincent a navy jet jockey and retired commercial airline pilot along with more boating experience than we care to remember. Scott Launey, same path, Navy fighter pilot, retired airline captain, and years of boating.
WHAT'S IN A NAME: "TUSSLER" Tussler was named by the original owner, Francis Mulholland. Talk about someone in need of therapy. He bought a rusting hulk from the navy and started the conversion process. Tussler is named for a fighter or someone that likes to tussle. I don't know how much fighting the smallest Navy tug did but that is where the name came from.
REASON FOR PURCHASING THIS BOAT: My wife and I were anchored at Catalina watching the Hill family on the William B (A converted tug out of Newport Beach). There were twenty kids running amok and if any boat could take it the William B could. We started the search and found Tussler after reading an article about her in Passagemaker magazine.
PREVIOUS BOATS OWNED: From a 13' Boston Whaler at age 12, many center consoles, numerous sailboats, 50' commercial boat, 50 'De Fever trawler, 50' Californian, and Tussler. I'm sure I missed several that I've tried to forget.
INTEREST IN THE FUBAR ODYSSEY: I just decided to go yesterday. It seemed like a good excuse to avoid responsibility.
BOATING STORY: Tussler is such a different boat that it attracts everyone. I have been boarded more times than an airliner. In every anchorage people come up to ask questions about the history of the boat. This generally includes local authorities in different countries.