Gary turns on the radar and points to the marina and hands me the wheel. The sky is growing warmer with pink waves of bubblegum clouds against the slate blue of dawn. Through the gap to Marrowstone Island stands the pink hazy silhouette of Mt. Rainier. I turn to port slightly and set it as my heading. A sip of coffee and bite of biscotti is reward enough on this fabulous morning afloat.
Friends Gary and Barbara in Port Townsend asked if I could help scrape and repaint their sailboat. The 1934 83 ft Danish trawler they converted to private yacht is a member of the family after 40 years of ownership. Gary and I began by scraping any bubbles and marks on the hull followed by sanding with heavy orbital and primer. After long days of toil, it was time to mix and paint the bottom with the toxic anti-fouling. This process took days and culminated with the final coat of enamel above the waterline. Some nights we worked after sundown, driven by the high cost of daily yard rental and lit by La Tortuga. Gary touches up a few bolts on the rudder and inspects the new zincs. On the final day out of the water, 12 I think, she's ready to set sail. Gary removed a section of beetle damaged plank and repaired with a patch. Wooden boats are an edible item, Gary reiterates. There is hope that they can cut into the ship and remove the beetle growth in the spring but the situation is like a cancer of a loved one. Before sunrise Gary started the SEMI diesel two stroke twin cylinder engine which settled into a stable chug-chug blowing black smoke rings into the breeze. The wind blew us back toward the dock in a difficult blackness of predawn. I scrambled foolishly about with rubber fenders feebily attempting to avoid a scrape on the fresh paint. Finally we kiss the far dock, steer clear of the million$ schooner and pass the crab boats and red and blue-lit Coast Guard patrol boat.
Gary turns on the radar and points to the marina and hands me the wheel. The sky is growing warmer with pink waves of bubblegum clouds against the slate blue of dawn. Through the gap to Marrowstone Island stands the pink hazy silhouette of Mt. Rainier. I turn to port slightly and set it as my heading. A sip of coffee and bite of biscotti is reward enough on this fabulous morning afloat.
2 Comments
Jack A. Venn
10/29/2017 08:37:28 pm
Mike, I am in envy of that sailing vessel. Jack
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T & D
10/30/2017 05:10:36 pm
What a fine looking Sailing vessel ..
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Mike SaundersIn May 2014 I quit my job to ride a Honda Ruckus over 69'000 mi and counting. Wild camping most nights and cooking most of my own meals, I keep the costs low and the landscape changing. Archives
April 2018
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