Will Craig

Last night, I said goodbye to an old friend, Will Craig. He's been battling ALS for more than a year now, and his battle is coming to an end. Will lived his life on his terms. He was a creative, interesting, free spirit of a guy who made more friends than money and always took the path that he found most compelling, not the path that society suggested.

In a cramped basement, using nothing but the most basic tools, Will Craig rebuilt an old boat and turned it into a work of art. I never could have done the job he did. But since the boat was for sale, I could buy it. Will's work that went into retread changed my life. The boat, which was a piece of art you could put on the starting line and press hard to go faster, gave me more pleasure and less pain than every other possession in my life.

With retread and Dave McGrath and later Linda Epstein, I was fortunate enough to win every regatta I ever wanted to win, then some. Because of Will's good work, retread had mind numbing boat speed downwind. She was a joy to own, and a pleasure to care for because she was so well built.

While retread is no longer in my life, she has found a new caretaker who dotes upon her. Will Laidlaw does a beautiful job caring for her, as she requires more TLC than the average boat.

But the friendship between me and Will went beyond just the boat. I always admired his mind. Long after I was out of the 110 class, and Will was out of the 110 class, I still enjoyed his company. I was his friend, and I was also his customer.

He painted my house more than a few times and gave me good advice on which work I could accomplish, and which work I would never finish. Will was a perfectionist, a craftsman, an old soul who was adored by his customers who were some of the most demanding people on the south shore. But all they had to demand of Will was that he please, please,please come to the house.

After that, Will just took care of everything. And by the time he was done, a 140-year-old house that previously looked like it was down on its luck was looking perfect.

It was a terrific honor to call Will Craig a friend. I enjoyed knowing him, sailing with him, sailing against him, being his customer, visiting with him, mowing his lawn when it grew three feet tall, cleaning his house when he was healthy but just wasn't in the mood to clean, and wish I could have done more for him when he was ill. I will miss him immensely. There are not a lot of people like Will Craig in this world, and it's a tragedy that ALS chose him.

In a few weeks, the Craig family, who have been through several marathons caring for Will, are going to host a memorial service in praise of Will's life. Tom Craig, Will's brother, will be spreading the word.