Me and My Boat: My New Rush

The following weekend I towed the boat up to Big Bay and Lake Independence for my first run on the boat.  However, prior, I painted the word “Beast” on the back of the boat.  This was to be her name until she was refurbished and renamed.   It got a few laughs.  However, Marcia was not happy; I had told her she could name the boat, which still holds true, but she was not happy when I went ahead and temporarily did so anyway.  Sometime you can’t do anything right.  All you married guy out there know exactly what I mean.

The Beast

That Friday evening the Beast was launched; very likely the first time the boat had been in the water in ten years.  She floated, and soon was making her way around the calm waters of Lake Independence.  It quickly became evident that the water tight integrity was not 100 percent.  There were a few leaks, at least where we could see.  Who knows what was under the wood work.  The apparent leaks were in the keel bolt housing and the cockpit drain.  Once Tim arrived we did some jury rigging to abate the flow of water from the lake into the boat.  It slowed the flow, but for the duration of the 2009 sailing season, which was the month of September, bailing was required.

That weekend I received more instruction in the fine art of sailing and more verbal abuse.  The good thing was that the conditions were perfect for the beginner, clam water and light winds.  I was often asked, “What the hell are you doing?” To which I replied, “I have no clue”.  Thus, I earned my title, “Captain Clueless”.  Tim was quick to point out that when sailing in a fleet he was still in command, due to his vast experience on the water.  He would be known as “Admiral Fuck Head”.  Men, as a rule tend towards juvenile behavior, and we were no exception.

Beast on the water

The next few weeks found me on the water whenever possible, both on Lake Superior and back on Lake Independence.  The weather was perfect and I logged (not really, but it sounds good) as many hours as possible.  I may keep a log in the future, and this dialog is meant to document the events leading up to where I currently am in the project.

All being said, I managed to get the Beast out on the water nine times since I bought her, which is pretty extraordinary considering.  And as I have stated would not have happened without Tim’s help.  It also very likely secured my interest in sailing, for without that experience my boat may very well still be sitting in my back yard instead of being refurbished in my garage.  The potential of her future voyages being painstakingly worked on with every available moment.

I am not at this point in my tale going to bore you with the details of each of my sailing forays; rather I will just leave you with the knowledge that I had fun.  Sailing had become my new passion.  My old ones left far away in lonely places where I don’t get to visit all that often.  I needed something to make me feel alive, something dangerous, and something to give me a good adrenalin rush on a regular basis.  And since I don’t climb mountains or ski down them any more, sailing seemed to be exactly what I needed.  My new rush.