Memories Live Again

Sherman Bushnell Jr., 12/2005

It was a warm sunny evening in late August of 2000. We were anchored on our 36´ trawler Minx in Montegue Harbor in the British Columbia gulf islands. Sitting on the bridge and watching the sun set behind the hills my thoughts were of the day's journey. Everything had been perfect as once again we cruised through the beautiful islands and water we knew so well. Yet somehow I was restless, not at peace the way I should have been in the quietness of such a special time. Could it be after over 60 years of boating the allure was wearing off? Was it a case of "been there done that" syndrome, or was it my age of 79 showing. I had trouble falling asleep that night as these thoughts seemed to trouble me. I awoke at dawn with the sudden and firm conviction that boating no longer offered the interest and challenge I had come to love-and it was time to move on. Breaking the news to Mary Jean, who could accept it but not believe it, we brought in the anchor and turned south in the morning sunrise, headed for home. That fall Minx was sold and we said goodbye to a major part of our lives that we had left forever.

The Seattle boat show is held every January. For four years it had held no interest for me and I had not attended. Two weeks prior to the 2005 show, for reasons I cannot explain, the strangest thoughts suddenly started to occur in my mind. I began envisioning visiting again the waters of the Pacific Northwest. Yes, in a boat. But this time it would be a smaller, faster boat, yet one that would be comfortable anchored out or dockside at marinas. I could visualize skimming over the water, just like in my first boat, a Chris Craft 16´ runabout, at the wheel in an open cockpit, feeling the rush of the wind, the smell of the salt air and the warmth of the summer sun. Shopping in our local market a couple of days later I couldn't help picking up a couple of boat magazines, which startled Mary Jean when she saw them in the cart at the check stand. She was even more startled when I suggested that just for fun why don't we take in the boat show next week.

Attending a boat show the magnitude of Seattle's can be a distraction. There are so many choices of every size and make that one could easily find it more confusing than helpful. In my case, I had spent considerable time on the Internet and had a definite idea of what I wanted. Once in the show, Mary Jean and I were quick to locate the dealer for Cruisers Yachts. The model of our choice was the 28´ express cruiser. After seeing it in the show we were excited about everything-except the price. When the salesman said he had a 2004 used model with low hours on the engine and in perfect condition we couldn't wait to see it. I met the next morning at the dealers dock on Lake Union to check on the boat and immediately fell in love with it. Although one year old it was essentially a new boat with very little prior use. Right there and then I signed an offer, and three hours later we were told the offer had been accepted. Five years after we had given up boating forever we were once again proud boat owners.

By any degree of rational judgment the boat we had purchased would be considered a poor choice for two people 84 years old. It's sleek and slippery foredeck could only be accessed through an opening in the windshield. Going forward to handle fenders and lines would be very difficult in good weather-virtually impossible in wet weather-ditto for putting out and bringing in the anchor. The 150 foot anchor rode and light Danforth anchor would never assure a good night sleep on the hook. A single engine instead of twin screws would make maneuvering and docking more difficult. The bimini top and side curtains were confining, more difficult to clearly see through and very cumbersome to remove, store and put back on. A 375 HP engine drove the boat at fast speeds up to 30 miles an hour. Fast enough to get two people with eye sight questions in trouble. Inside the small cabin the galley lacked storage-hardly in keeping with the original objective of extended cruising and overnight anchorages. A microwave oven came installed but no electrical generator for operating it when anchored out. Sleeping was on a single double bunk in the bow. There was no heat or air conditioning for the cabin. Towing a dinghy at fast speeds was impossible, but some kind of dinghy was going to be necessary. Lack of deck storage for fenders, lines and maintenance supplies was critical. Considering all this could we make it work? I thought so, and intended to prove it.

Before taking delivery we had the dealer install a windless with operating switches at the wheel for both raising and lowering the anchor without going forward. The anchor rode was increased to a length of 300 feet plus 20 feet of ¼ in. chain. The Danforth anchor was replaced with a 25 lb. Bruce. A GPS was added, mostly for fun but also for some navigation assurance in foggy conditions. Once this work was completed it was time to take the boat from the dealers dock to our own moorage. With Bill as deck hand we got underway in early March and headed for the locks and on to Poulsbo. Once at our moorage in the city marina I went to work. One of the most significant and useful additions was the installation of hand rails on the stern of the boat. These new sleek designs don't offer a lot to hang on to when boarding. In addition to serving as safety grips these rails added many valuable features. They were used for mounting cleats that would terminate the mid‑ship and stern dock lines so these lines could always stay on the boat ready to use. Bow and stern fenders, or bumpers, were installed port and starboard by attaching them to pulleys and lines, which ran to cleats on the stern rails. Standing on the transom swim platform Mary Jean could hang on to these rails when docking, raise and lower mid‑ship and stern fenders and step off on a dock with bow and stern lines in her hands-all from one stationary position. Special brackets were installed on these same stern rails to accommodate the barbeque for either port or starboard cooking, whichever suited the boats anchored or docked position best. Installation of these stern rails could never have been attempted without the assist of faithful son Bill, who crawled down in the bilge to put nuts and washers on the thru-hull fastenings. The seat across the stern of the cockpit was removed and a storage chest was built with a hinged upholstered seat on top for the same location. All extra lines, fenders, and a myriad of other items went in to this chest seat. With just a single engine there was plenty of room in the engine compartment for storage. A 2,000 watt Honda portable generator was for running the microwave was carried here and a small inflatable dinghy rolled up and stored easily in the engine area. Shelves were built in the engine compartment for storing maintenance supplies, oil, filters and spare parts, and space was provided for a complete tool box. In order to remove the side curtains for summer cruising we had a one piece snap-on cockpit cover made to protect the boat at night and when it was moored in the marina.

Inside the cabin there was a second bunk extending under the bridge deck. Because we did not plan to cruise overnight with guests we converted this area to a closet and storage. Here a clothes rack was installed, sufficient to handle all our clothes as well as life preservers, jackets, and foul weather gear. This area also provided space for hanging drawers for additional storage of small clothes, shoes, etc., as well as for books, charts and cruising guides. With the addition of all this storage in the stern bunk area valuable space was freed up to use the hanging locker adjacent to the galley for provisions. A Black & Decker under counter coffee maker was bolted down for security under rough conditions. Additional shelves were installed in cabinets above and below the sink and counter. Then came the perks we grant ourselves in old age: a VHS - CD recorder was installed and connected to a 20 in. flat screen TV-all securely bolted down-the TV could be rotated for viewing from either the dinette table or the forward sleeping bunk; a small electric heater which warmed the cabin quickly was installed for use when on shore power or using the Honda generator. Most of the additions and modifications we had planned were now complete and we looked forward with great anticipation to our first cruise. Just one thing remained-a name. What could be better than the name of our last boat, "MINX". Webster defines this as: "a pert or flirtatious girl". That she was going to be. My friend Bill Austin, who had a local sign company, made the vinyl letters and Mary Jean and I together carefully put them on, port and starboard.

For me, boat ownership has two phases: one is the outfitting and care of the boat; the other is the cruising. I had enjoyed tremendously the outfitting and equipping of this new boat during the spring of 2005. The days had gone by so fast, each one filled with new ideas, objectives and challenges as I worked from stem to stern fashioning each project into something that would enhance our cruising and make it more safe and comfortable. Looking back over the years I realize I had done this same thing with each boat we had purchased. The beginning phase in the ownership of each new boat marked a time of great pleasure and then pride in the work I had accomplished. I have often been asked why you don't just rent a boat for your cruising. This is the reason why.

From the day I had first envisioned buying a new boat, especially a fast, modern design; I realized that safety would be the prime issue. At our age we could not risk injury. Operation of the type boat we had chosen would require my full attention at the wheel during operation and docking and I would have to depend on Mary Jean for the handling of the lines. Experience reminded me that docking a boat can be hazardous to your health. Wind, current, and wet conditions all lead to accidents suddenly happening. My boating partner was first my lover, but second she was the all important deck hand responsible for quickly getting off the boat and securing the lines to the dock-and she was 84 years old. It was my responsibility to bring the boat in to the dock and get it in a position where she could freely step off on the dock-no jumping. Her orders were very firmly stated: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO STEP OFF THE BOAT UNLESS YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT YOU CAN DO IT EASILY. If for any reason she has concerns we would simply back off and try again. We practiced this several times coming in and out of our marina slip, and by mid May we felt we were ready to go on our first overnight cruise.

Now it was time for our maiden voyage and we were filed with high expectations. It was a beautiful warm afternoon on Sunday, May 15th, when we cast off the lines and proceeded majestically out of the marina. Rounding the breakwater, we slowly idled down the bay about 100 yards-and dropped the anchor. We had arrived at our first overnight destination-right in front of our Poulsbo house. No, we weren't scared or frightened. No the weather forecast wasn't bad. We only had a short time and we needed to stretch the new anchor line, test the windless, check out the boats systems, use the galley equipment and make sure sleeping accommodations would work. All went well, and we returned to the marina the next day none the worse from this harrowing experience at sea.

The summer months that followed were a true testimonial to the fact that memories can live again-no matter what your age. For us it was a part of our youth reclaimed as we remembered our honeymoon in 1943 in our runabout Bushy. We did it then with two sleeping bags (they zippered together) and a camp stove. Now the facilities were a little better but the sights and sounds of the beautiful islands and waters were the same. Skimming along on top of the water, the rush of the wind, the warm sun on our faces, the smell of the salt air and the spray from the waves had never changed. And neither had our hearts or the free spirits that renewed us this summer of 2005.

Norman Vincent Peals said it best, "Live your life, forget your age."