My Little Boat
I have always enjoyed fishing and always wanted a boat. Finally one fall about 22 or 23 years ago I bought a small used 12-ft aluminum boat and boat trailer. Both the boat and trailer were in terrible condition. When I brought the boat home, I parked it in my garage planning to work on it as time allowed. I started by making a long list of items that needed to be replaced hoping to shop for the best deals I could find for the different parts. As I was going over the boat, imagine my surprise when I discovered that the boat was 40 years old.
Once my Father in-law heard about the boat and trailer he came over to see what I had gotten myself into. He entered my garage, and walked around the boat tut tutting and muttering to himself the entire time that he examined the boat. He said that I should place my boat in his garage because it had a heater. Dad said that since he was retired he had the time to take my long list of parts and get the best deal for each item. So when I had a free Saturday Dad and I would work on pounding out the dents, tightening the rivets, replacing all the wooden seats and doing everything else that needed doing.
Dad and I worked on that boat through the fall, winter and spring. Finally my boat was ready to be placed in the water. So on the last Saturday of that long ago May a friend and I took the boat to a local river and backed the trailer and boat down into the water. At the time I did not have a motor so we used the oars and rowed the boat around for about an hour. What relief I felt to find no leaks.
A couple weeks later, dad found a used boat motor that I could afford and so the little boat and I were ready for big adventures.
Once my Father in-law heard about the boat and trailer he came over to see what I had gotten myself into. He entered my garage, and walked around the boat tut tutting and muttering to himself the entire time that he examined the boat. He said that I should place my boat in his garage because it had a heater. Dad said that since he was retired he had the time to take my long list of parts and get the best deal for each item. So when I had a free Saturday Dad and I would work on pounding out the dents, tightening the rivets, replacing all the wooden seats and doing everything else that needed doing.
Dad and I worked on that boat through the fall, winter and spring. Finally my boat was ready to be placed in the water. So on the last Saturday of that long ago May a friend and I took the boat to a local river and backed the trailer and boat down into the water. At the time I did not have a motor so we used the oars and rowed the boat around for about an hour. What relief I felt to find no leaks.
A couple weeks later, dad found a used boat motor that I could afford and so the little boat and I were ready for big adventures.
posted by UP at 12:11 PM
2 Comments:
Great start to a lovely story, I bet. There must be more to it, than just this.
But what a great gift you gave your Father-in-law, with this. Probably a bigger one, than what you gave yourself, getting this 40 year old boat. Which you both had so much fun refurbishing.
Mari-Nanci
Mari-Nanci,
Yes there will be more about the life of My Little Boat. I don't know why I started thinking about that boat the other day but I did. So I decided to write about it so my kids can have a record of the boat.
Up
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