Whew! Today I washed and waxed the Mini. “Wax on, wax off….wax on, wax off….” I
imagined the stoical Mr. Miyagi standing by, arms folded, nodding imperceptibly
as long-dormant musculature came back to life, generously overlooking the fact
that Daniel-san was 14 back in ’84 and had something to work with. The Mini, significantly
smaller than the ’46 Buick that was the object of the Karate Kid’s labors,
enabled me to stumble inside to a training Guinness (“a food, not beer”) before
any real damage was done.
“So much, for now, regarding the motor’s continuing overhaul,
Al. Don’t let it get tedious. But what about the hull? What are you rowing?”
Ah, Gentle Reader, thanks for the counsel and candor. You’re
right. I’m (usually) only a few keystrokes from tedious if not already over the
line. Let me try to pull it back from the edge.
Permit me to offer a tip ‘o the wide-brimmed hat and this
link to the Adirondack Guide Boat Company in Vergennes, Vermont. http://www.adirondack-guide-boat.com/
Having rowed my guide boat for more than a few thousands of miles through all
kinds of weather, water, and “inadvertent contacts,” I can assure you that any
superlative that these otherwise modest craftsmen ascribe to their boats is
grossly understated. Easily driven,
stable under a load, and as durable as Vermont craftsmanship and Kevlar can
make her, the Adirondack guide boat is the perfect vessel for this kind of
trip. And if an elegant sheer line between plumb ends defines “salty good
looks,” she’s got that, too. During The
Big Row in ’06, I suggested that if parents ditched the jet-skis and put
their kids into one of these boats instead, threw in a jug of water and some
tuna sandwiches and told them to get lost for a few days, lives -and the
environment- would improve. Better yet, if the parents themselves parked the
Clorox Bottle, picked up the oars and a saucy Merlot and adopted, if only for a
few days, the liberating spirit of enlightened discomfiture, things- big things- would be better yet.
So tomorrow (Saturday) I’ll actually climb into my boat for
the first time this year and yes, the training (as defined by actually rowing)
will indeed begin in earnest. I’ve already slapped some fresh varnish on the
gunwales and oars, and it’s a tribute to these boats that so little has to be
done to ensure safety for so long. Hands must harden and, to be honest,
derrieres must acclimate (TMI?), as these are the repetitive-motion contact
points with boat, but Old Paint herself is resting…waiting…ready.
No wax on, wax off
for her.
Let’s just get going, she says.
Big ups..’mo latah.
Al
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