The youngest boy and his dad sanded and refinished the wooden rudder and daggerboard. They patched the 4" hole in the front of the side with left over fiberglass scraps from their canoe project. They cleaned and sanded and repainted the body of the boat. They washed and mended the sail and replaced the rigging ropes.
The boys decided one November day that it was time to take it for a trial sail. On a whim, I called the friend who got us into this adventure and tracked down the former owner at his job at the post office and told him what was about to take place. The boys walked the boat on its tiny dolly over to the lake a mile from our house while I followed behind in the Jeep and we got it into the water next to the dock. They were struggling with getting the mast into the boat just as the former owner showed up. He helped them get things set up and pushed them off from the dock.
While we watched them sail away he told me how much he had loved that little boat and how torn up he had been at the decision to throw it away instead of moving it with them and how especially upset he had been at the prospect of having to cut it up to throw it away. He told me it was amazing how well they could sail it right off like that. I told him it was the same boat they had learned on at Boy Scout camp and how much they both loved earning that merit badge. He stayed on the dock with me and watched as they made a few circuits around the little lake and helped them bring it back in. It was a wonderful time, when one man's trash was literally turned into two young men's treasure. And the one man's happy memories of his boat had, instead of a very sad ending, a very beautiful one indeed.
The boys decided one November day that it was time to take it for a trial sail. On a whim, I called the friend who got us into this adventure and tracked down the former owner at his job at the post office and told him what was about to take place. The boys walked the boat on its tiny dolly over to the lake a mile from our house while I followed behind in the Jeep and we got it into the water next to the dock. They were struggling with getting the mast into the boat just as the former owner showed up. He helped them get things set up and pushed them off from the dock.
While we watched them sail away he told me how much he had loved that little boat and how torn up he had been at the decision to throw it away instead of moving it with them and how especially upset he had been at the prospect of having to cut it up to throw it away. He told me it was amazing how well they could sail it right off like that. I told him it was the same boat they had learned on at Boy Scout camp and how much they both loved earning that merit badge. He stayed on the dock with me and watched as they made a few circuits around the little lake and helped them bring it back in. It was a wonderful time, when one man's trash was literally turned into two young men's treasure. And the one man's happy memories of his boat had, instead of a very sad ending, a very beautiful one indeed.
1 comment:
I used to have a Sunfish (ages ago). Great little boat and so fun to learn on! Glad they're enjoying it!
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