A few weeks ago I helped an 89 year old gentleman bring his beloved 28’ Tollycraft down from Loch Lomand to the dock at McGrath Yachts in Sausalito. The day was blustery and we had a bit of difficulty getting out of the slip. However, he was an experienced skipper and we had no further problems on the trip down bay. He and his wife have owned the boat since 1977. Boating had been a large part of their life, spending summers in the Delta and winters cruising the Bay in the company their friends and fellow members of the United States Power Squadron.
Dancing Dragon trawler in the Delta
By Kimmie Haworth
Published: October, 2006
Letting go of their much-loved boat after so many years was an extremely difficult decision. It must be similar to giving up driving, only much more painful. Driving is a necessary evil, while boating is something you actually enjoy. However, boating requires a certain amount of physical agility which, unfortunately, we all seem to lose as we grow older.
Captain Sweetie and I recently gave up our sailboat to move on to a more easily accessible trawler. When we were much younger, we had dreams of sailing off into the sunset.
Although we spent bundles of time, energy and money to make the sail boat as comfortable as possible installing such glamorous extras as a forced air heater and other amenities necessary for luxurious onboard living, we found that climbing up and down the companion way ladder and sitting outside in the cockpit in inclement weather to navigate was becoming increasingly difficult. After several years of hemming and hawing, we finally decided to make the switch from sail to power. It was exactly at that same time that fuel prices went through the roof, but, what the heck? Our sailing friends looked on scornfully. Why do you want a stink pot? they queried.
So we can continue boating for the next 20 years, was our reply.
The trawler has a walk through stern and the only up-and-down we have to do these days is to reach the flying bridge. The inside steering station keeps us warm and dry in any kind of weather. I know eventually we will have to make the move to land, but hopefully that will be many miles downstream. In the mean time, we spend as many weekends as possible on the water, take our annual trip to the Delta and thoroughly enjoy the bohemian lifestyle that boating affords us.
We learned about trawlers from our adorable friends, Laurie and Betty Davidson, who owned a Grand Banks trawler for several decades. Grand Banks are the Mercedes of trawlers and Laurie and Betty used their boat more than anybody we knew. While in their 80’s, they decided to move up from their wooden 32’ boat to a roomier fiberglass GB 36’. Laurie, an intrepid Scot, had just come out of heart surgery the day his new boat was delivered. I had driven Betty to the hospital for the first post-surgery visit.
When we walked into the room, Laurie was laying flat in hospital bed with tubes and wires connected to the various monitoring machines. He was looking decidedly pale and weak after his major medical ordeal. How are you feeling, Laurie? Betty asked.
A meek ok... was his response. Beep, beep, beep - the monitoring machines hummed quietly.
Do you need anything? I asked.
No, thanks, was his feeble reply. Beep, beep, beep – the machines keeping slow and steady time with his shallow breathing.
Your new boat was delivered today, Betty said.
It was?! Hooray!! was Laurie’s joyous exclamation as the machines beeped and blipped buoyantly.
They piloted their beautiful new Grand Banks, Kompira around the Bay and Delta for another five years.
Laurie and Betty have since both passed on, their cremated remains having been scattered into the Pacific from the deck of their beloved Kompira. I only hope Sweetie and I can continue our boating lifestyle for at least as long as they did.
Is boating the magical elixir for eternal youth? I don’t know the answer to that, but if motivation has anything to do with a youthful attitude, then perhaps spending time on the water actually is the answer to the mystery of life.
