"Once she went up for auction," Slim says, "it became a real legal mess. Because the boat is documented, the title was actually owned by the U.S. government, and it controlled the boat until all legal matters were settled. Meanwhile, she sat unattended for four long years."

However, the boat changed owners frequently and, by the late 1980s, she had fallen into disrepair and was put up for auction. Richard ("Slim") and Carolyn Gardner had been introduced to the Deerleap when friends invited them aboard for a weekend excursion to Catalina Island.

"We'd been the owners of a 65-foot commuter boat called Old Age. We had the boat for fourteen years, but it had an outside steering station." Slim grew tired of always being outside in the weather running the boat while his guests sat below in warmth and comfort.

"I knew the minute I walked aboard the Deerleap she was the boat I wanted," Slim says. "Her pilothouse, although raised, is still completely open to the formal dining room." This feature was important because it allowed him to operate the boat and visit with company at the same time.