12.11.2007

New Member of the Family

For those you that don't know my family personally, we are collectors. If you need something, we probably have three to choose from.

My mom collects every kind of mustard you could imagine, kitchen wares, and handwork materials galore. I have too much jewelry for my own good and a weak spot for vintage dresses. Richard, my stepfather, he collects and rebuilds bikes, skies, antique outboard engines and most notably... boats.

When I was seven or so Richard built me my own little rowboat.

emily richard nutshell launching

When Saphrona, my sister was little he built her a pooduck sailing pram. Richard spent the past few winters rebuilding another rowboat that we call the black boat. Each of these dinghies has a rig for sailing.

There's the white boat, a sweet old runabout that i covet, but is in pieces and in dyer need of a rebuild. There's the Ra Lo a funky aluminum center console runabout. The Duranautic, our dependable turquoise work boat, is the first and last boat to be launched and hauled every season.

No, I'm not done yet, but close.

This winter, the big project in the life of how these boats turn, involves the removal and rebuilding of the the dual engines in our big power boat, Candace III, a 1942 Elco Cruiser.

I hope you can understand my shock when I was told that my family had purchased yet another boat in partnership with family friends. Peggy Jane, a lobster boat type powerboat is no stranger, my mom and Richard used to maintain her for the owners. But own her? What were they thinking?

Who cares! It's the perfect picnic boat, let's go!

It's my pleasure to introduce Peggy Jane. Welcome to the family.

new addition to the family

Peggy Jane

I should add that owning the kinds of boats that we do (old and wooden) is a labor of love. My family does the majority of the maintenance and restoration on all the boats. I admit, I don't contribute nearly enough. OK, not at all. For as well as my mother and I get along we've never been able to work together on boats. I do however adore using each and every one.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

...you forgot the 14 ft. Duranautic, the black fiberglass dingy that came with the Elco and the old 18' wood canoe that is dire need of new canvas... and other work. But when do we have the time???

It's fun to see them named and described... all our other "children".

Anonymous said...

and the pickle!!!

Alice said...

congratulations! :)

Anonymous said...

"The Duranautic, our dependable turquoise work boat, is the first and last boat to be launched and hauled every season."


I love my Duranautic too. Besides my iPod, it's the coolest thing I own.