Published Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:14 PM
Updated Tuesday, May 06, 2008 3:14 PM
Watts Line 5/7/08
Hubster’s boat under constructionIt’s been a while since I saw “the boat.” The Hubster has this sailboat that he’s renovating at a dock down in Mount Pleasant. Selkie is her name-o. (Selkie: Something about a seal and a beautiful woman, a water legend. Anyway, it’s a broke boat with a weird name.)
At first the boat was anchored out in the creek and every now and again, we’d get in his little dinghy and motor out to it, spend the night, cook a little dinner, wake up to birds and breakfast and enjoy the heck out of it. Beautiful surroundings, fresh air, interesting folks down on the docks.
Not being a sailor, I was happy just visiting what amounted to our cabin in the creek.
I’m a motorboat kind of person and knew nothing about sailing. My first introduction to sailing was on a sunfish the day before we got married. We sailed out on Lake Wateree (up near Camden) and I promptly did something that got us turned over and me roped to the underside of the boat. (Don’t ask. I have no idea.) I do remember thinking briefly that if he didn’t want to get married, he could have gotten out of it by just saying so, and that drowning me was really way over the top and completely unnecessary.) But true to his good self, he managed to untangle me and get me back to air.
Anyway, the sailing thing was not my first choice. It’s like living in a camper. But eventually I had warmed to the idea, and in fact had come to enjoy boat sitting. You can’t really call it sailing since we never went anywhere because the engine needed replacing. (It seems that in order to sail, one needs an engine.)
The engine replacement program has been under way for more than a year now with months of occasional weekends where he works hard, before life intervenes and the boat project has to go on hiatus.
But I do think we’re heading into the home stretch. I went with him Friday night to view the still uninhabitable interior.
A big saw horse consumes the insides of the boat. Dust is everywhere. There’s no place to sit and only a narrow path to the head.
But the engine is about to go in. I can feel it this time.
Sailing the high seas? Cruising the harbor at sunset? Having friends aboard?
That’s the goal.
Will it happen? I have no idea. But it’s something to work toward. Why not go out and just get another boat? You might ask. (I know I have.) It would have been cheaper. Put it this way -- it’s his golf.
So, as we head into what looks like untroubled waters with the boat, it means we can motor back out in the creek and anchor so we can spend the night on the boat – in the same place where the boat was for several years before the engine got put in. The only difference is that we will be motoring the boat itself and not arriving at Selkie in the dinghy.
Will there be actual sailing involved? Maybe. Will we have a good time.
That’s a given.
Contact Judy Watts at 873-9424 ext.220 or at journalscene.com.