It was with great sadness that I learned, too late, of the passing of Steve Collins, one-time sales rep for Lewmar. Steve began with Lewmar at about the same time I did at Cherubini Boat, and we came to rely on each other as salesmen and purchasers tend to do. I left the boatbuilding industry in 1983, coming back only for a short time in 1988, but Steve's career bloomed to a VP position in marketing at Lewmar and, at some time in there, at Edson as well. We first met Steve Collins on a grey afternoon in July 1977. My dad and brother and I were then working on Warren Luhrs' Cherubini 44 cutter, and the first 44 for which I drew the interior was underway at the same time (this is the 44 that was featured in Mate's book). Steve Collins from Long Island appeared with a new orange VW Rabbit hatchback and ended up backing his whole car into the shop to escape the thunderstorm. Half the shop congregated around a 2 x 12 scaffold plank on sawhorses to watch this nerdy but congenial little blond Irishman disassemble these superb self-tailing winches with only a penknife. (It was really cool. I got to be quite the shop winch-rebuilder after that.) Steve was merely being a good sales rep, contacting this small-time boatbuilder in central New Jersey. He had not known just WHOM he would be meeting that day. But he and his excellent product made quite an impression on our company designer. In fact naive Steve's enthusiasm and initiative would land him, through his new association with John E Cherubini, the account for the Luhrs brothers' up-and-coming Hunter Marine. At that time Hunter was building five boats a week at Marlboro NJ. Multiply that by the number of winches involved! In gratitude Steve ensured that Cherubini Boat, buying larger but far fewer winches, would perpetually enjoy the same discount level that his account at Hunter did. Later my uncle Joe's Raider Yacht Corp would benefit in the same way. Steve was noted for getting personally involved in all his work and all his accounts. He had an affinity for boating, for sailboats in particular, and for all sailors and salesmen at your average boat show that was contagious. Run into this guy in a tent at Annapolis and it was first-name basis and have-one-on-me all round. It's gratifying to see that Edson and Lewmar have lately conspired to offer the Steve Collins Award for excellence in marine-equipment show exhibits. It was an area in which he took keen interest and well-deserved pride. Anyone who knew Steve will verify that he deserved all our respect and all our thanks. I regret I was not in better touch with him over the last 20 years. He was one of the real 'good guys' in marine marketing and he'll be missed forever. J Cherubini II jcomet@aol.com H-25 Diana Burlington NJ