This boat, the Tiffy, has an amazing history. I bought this boat at an auction from the City of Sand Point, Alaska a few years ago. It was the biggest business risk I have ever taken, but it worked out like an incredible success story right out of a novel. I’m not suggesting the journey has been easy. It’s been tough and full of uncertainty, hard work, But wait, I’m starting near the end, and there’s so much you’ll want to know about the beginning of life on the Tiffy.

The Tiffy was built by a master boat builder, and he loved fishing . . . 

But times got difficult in the fishing industry in the 1990s, and Tiffy was all but abandoned for years, moored at the marina in Sand Point like a lonely spinster merely existing. After years of defaulting on moorage fees, the City finally put Tiffy on the auction block. It was a sad day with a future full of uncertainty. Who would the Tiffy’s new owner be? What would his plans for Tiffy be? Would he break her apart for parts? Would he scrap the diesel engine? Would he sink her in 18,000 feet off the shelf just to the south of Aleutians? 

The answer came when I won the Tiffy for $15,000. But I didn’t know if the diesel engine would start, and if it did, would she run reliably? Or would the engine need $30,000 in labor and parts? And then there was the rest of the boat. Deferred maintenance is not a pretty thing, especially with a boat on the ocean and in the harsh Alaska winters. 

Thank God, the diesel started up after some preparations, and the best news of all is that the diesel has low hours and purrs like a kitten! While I still had a lot of work to do on the boat to prepare her for fishing season, I was ecstatic! 

The Tiffy was back, and her new Captain would love her like a good woman wants to be loved. He would work night and day to keep her looking her best, and he would risk his life to keep her afloat all year. Yes, I’m the Captain, Brady Marunde, and I’m damn proud of Tiffy.

But let me tell you what I’ve been doing to upgrade the Tiffy.