The boat was theirs but it needed a mammoth amount of work. Thus began the long process of renovations, which would eventually run the Haighs $250,000.

Massive changes were needed before the couple could live onboard. While the vessel –was structurally sound, it had sat for nearly forty years. Unarguably, she was going to need a major facelift, beginning with the bare-bone tasks of sandblasting the bottom and hull, applying the proper coats of primer and paint, gutting the interior and starting from scratch with new floors, new walls and new ceilings, creating two new staterooms, designing a full working galley, adding an aft deck, replacing the old windows, re-designing the entire wiring system, creating a more workable engine room and adding heating, air conditioning and fresh water storage units to turn the working boat into an attractive and comfortable home.

It was during these repairs that the Haighs would lean heavily on Charles Balsamo, one of the last master wooden boat specialists on Long Island.

SO BOLD, SO NAIVESam HaighLaunching Day in South Carolina, mid-construction.

Looking back, the Haighs laugh at their innocence. They allowed themselves a short six months to make repairs. They were so confident in the timetable that they put their home up for sale. While most people would revel in a quick sale, the Haighs, both of whom are now 63, began to worry.

It was becoming more and more clear that work on The General would be anything but quick. Six months of restoration would stretch into four years before the job was complete. While the couple lived mostly in a one-bedroom apartment in Greenwich, in time they became quite familiar with sleeping on a hard deck floor, choosing to spend some nights on the boat to get an early-morning start on repairs: degreasing, sanding, painting, varnishing, calking, insulating and random welding projects.

"Judy and I have had a different experience than most yacht owners," said Sam Haigh. "We didn't just go out, buy a boat, hire out the work, and then come back to get her when it was all finished. Judy and I were hands-on with the project from day one. I would work on The General after work and on the weekends. Judy was there around the clock. Because of that, we have a more intimate understanding about the inner workings of our boat and a much greater appreciation of the final product."

A LONG ROAD

Sam has been around boats pretty much all of his life. He started out as a kid owning a 13-foot, 1951 Lyman, a boat his dad bought him. He later graduated to a 19-foot Mako, a 32-foot wooden lapstrake Olson, and a 34-foot Webbers Cove.

The General was an entirely different animal.

Had he known how long the repairs would take, Sam admits he probably wouldn't have gone through with it.

But it didn't take long before Sam and his wife found themselves knee-deep in the project. To help them along, they brought on veteran naval architect Dave Gerr, who would transform the vessel from functional to fanciful.