Staying Afloat

Most of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I have a boat that's undergone a heavy restoration effort this past spring.
It's amazing what a little money set aside can accomplish if spent wisely, and what results time can also bring.
My wife and I try to do a 'date night' about once a month.  Over dinner one night in Pittsburgh, she asked me if I wanted to sell the 1988 Bayliner Cobra that's been languishing near my father's garage in Apollo for close to three years now.
I told her I didn't want to...that the reason was because of money.  Unfortunately, when you have a child, you find that you have less and less of it.
Much to my surprise, she told me that she put money aside for repairs.  I asked her to give me a number.
$1,000.
That number would likely not fix everything, but it would get the high-priority work done.  Not only that, but there was plenty of work that was just that.
The entire floor needed new woodwork, and so did the upper deck in the bow area.  New carpeting throughout.  Upholstery needed purchased, along with padding to go underneath it.
Time was also a factor.  I wanted to get it done before Memorial Day.
I told my dad my intentions.  After he saw me buy the first couple pieces of plywood for the upholstered walls, and then cut them out, he knew I meant business.
Then by my next visit back, I saw that he had cleared out some space and moved my boat inside his garage and near his own...a 1990 16-foot tri-hull Bonito.  Oh, it was on!
What I didn't have time to do, he did in his spare time.  What I didn't know how to do he either did himself or showed me how.  Or I watched him once and did the rest myself.  Between the two of us, when we didn't have to keep the daughter/granddaughter entertained, we managed to get a lot done.
Carefully watching for sale prices at suppliers (Jo Ann Fabrics, Ace Hardware, Home Depot and Lowe's), we spent the resources wisely and when all was said and done, we had a very impressive vessel that would rival many of the newer products Bayliner is putting out today.
And it would last longer.
Way longer.
Pressure-treated lumber, given additional treatment with linseed oil and paint.  Galvanized deck screws.   Liquid Nails outdoor construction adhesive.  Marine-quality vinyl...even better than what the boat came originally equipped with when it left the factory in late 1987.  Pliable outdoor carpet from Lowe's, textured similar to the original.  And the best cover money could buy while the boat was stored outdoors during the season.  
Even Margie was impressed.
But before we could take our maiden voyage as a family, my Dad suggested that we take it out to Crooked Creek Lake for a test run, as the engine hadn't been run for so long and in case something did go wrong, he was able to find it.
I had a bad experience (well, a couple) with Crooked Creek a few years ago, but thought, Margie and I had learned our lessons as boat newbies, so we'll give it another try.
So Dad and I launched the boat off the dock, and given a high temperature of close to 90, off we went. Remembering that my dad had never been on this boat before while it was on the water, I offered him the opportunity to take the wheel.
He didn't hesitate to take the wheel nor be conservative with the throttle.  All 125 horsepower of that Force/Mercury engine was going to be taken to the max, with the fuel pump screaming for mercy after it all.
The look on his face said it all.  It was more than just a construction project.  It was the chance to see a masterpiece in action.  What weeks of extreme attention to detail and patience manifested in on that hot June Tuesday.  A labor of love would have been an understatement.
While we weren't as lucky weatherwise with our 2013 season family maiden voyage, we still called it a success.  There were few mishaps (loading and unloading), and the boat ran well.
After all, as any boater may tell you, the worst day boating is better than the best day working.


NEXT WEEK:  Four More Years