William F. Buckley’s Boat: Its Owner Seeks a Successor

The ad was inconspicuous. A small inset, buried on the classified page of the Yale Daily News — this was the prior millennium, and classifieds were still a thing —asking simply: “Do you know how to sail?” There were a couple of minimalist pen illustrations accompanying the text: an elongated upside-down W evoking a seagull in flight, a couple of reversed undulations below meant to evoke waves. And then, beneath the large-font question, some further brief information, a name, and an address. “Seeking mate to work out of Stamford on 36′ sloop for summer weekend cruises; please email [email protected]” (again, the prior millennium, but at its culmination, and primitive emails were by then a thing), signed — William F. Buckley Jr.

Ahem. The William F. Buckley Jr.? Founder of National Review, host of Firing Line and its wonderful debates, author of numerous books about God, Man, Yale, and Blackford Oakes? Well, this was Yale, and Mr. Buckley had just taught a writing seminar on campus, so the possibility was real. And if real, it was probably a great gig for an aspiring politician or pundit, less so a simple varsity sailor — even one whose politics were generally aligned.

The ad was inconspicuous. A small inset, buried on the classified page of the Yale Daily News — this was the prior millennium, and classifieds were still a thing —asking simply: “Do you know how to sail?” There were a couple of minimalist pen illustrations accompanying the text: an elongated upside-down W evoking a seagull in flight, a couple of reversed undulations below meant to evoke waves. And then, beneath the large-font question, some further brief information, a name, and an address. “Seeking mate to work out of Stamford on 36′ sloop for summer weekend cruises; please email [email protected]” (again, the prior millennium, but at its culmination, and primitive emails were by then a thing), signed — William F. Buckley Jr.

Ahem. The William F. Buckley Jr.? Founder of National Review, host of Firing Line and its wonderful debates, author of numerous books about God, Man, Yale, and Blackford Oakes? Well, this was Yale, and Mr. Buckley had just taught a writing seminar on campus, so the possibility was real. And if real, it was probably a great gig for an aspiring politician or pundit, less so a simple varsity sailor — even one whose politics were generally aligned.