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Guest Column |
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I feel terrible. There was nothing wrong
with her ? in fact, she had never been in better shape.
I delivered her into the hands of a stranger, a man
who says he will love her, wash her, polish her, but
those are just words. She is his now, her future lies
in his hands.
She is a Newport 16, designed by William Lapworth
and built in 1973.
Her name is Aurors. I named her that because I believe
names are
important: by naming a thing, we give life to that
thing, and the name determines the nature of that
life. I have a dog named Aurora, and she is the sweetest,
prettiest, and most lovable creature on earth. I wanted
my boat to be a sweet sailer, a thing of beauty, and
an object of devotion. She became all those things.
And now she is in the hands of another.
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Me and
Aurora
(click
images to enlarge) |
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Aurors was my first ?real boat,? my first boat that
was not a canoe or something I slapped together in
a weekend. I had sailed on her once, then took sailing
lessons. After the first lesson, I went to her previous
owner and asked to buy her. She was just what I wanted,
and I think he could see that in my eyes.
I took her home and cleaned her up. She had not been
neglected, but she hadn?t been loved, either. I had
never towed anything before, but I learned. I learned
for her. I took her sailing, learning her ways and
her needs. I made little improvements: adding a drain
plug, replacing worn cables, cleaning the sails. Everything
was done 'yacht fashion' with stainless steel replacing
zinc coated iron and yacht line replacing nylon ropes.
I spent 2 days just washing and waxing her.
| Everything
was done 'yacht fashion' |
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Over time, my sailing needs changed, and Aurors became
less of the boat I needed. My wife loves to canoe,
but finds sailing monotonous and dull. Even at 16
feet, Aurors became a boat larger than what I needed.
Rather than let her rot, unused and untouched, I
decided to see if someone else needed a boat of her
capabilities. I posted her ad on Craig's List and
14 hours later, someone else had her title.
I sold my boat today, but her story has not ended.
She will always have been my first. In my mind, her
tiny flaws will blur and her weathered colors will
brighten. I believe that some day, as I lay on my
deathbed, I will think of her. I will remember my
boat, Aurors, and smile.
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Happier
days
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PS: I bought a Weekender the next day!
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