Loss

“We sailed for parts unknown to man
Where ships come home to die
No lofty peak nor fortress bold
Could match our captain’s eye

Upon the seventh seasick day
We made our port of call
A sand so white and sea so blue
No mortal place at all

We fired the gun and burnt the mast
And rowed from ship to shore
The captain cried, we sailors wept
Our tears were tears of joy”

Gary Brooker – Procol Harum

One more song from the not so distant past…

…and one more anecdote concerning an aspect of our lives here in Canada.

There is an unattributed saying regarding boat ownership that runs thus:

The two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell the boat.

Now, a quick wander through Google reveals that being the subject of this saying annoys boat-owners considerably. Most refute the implication absolutely, eagerly extolling the joys and pleasures afforded by being able to get out on the water in short order. Such folk willingly accept the downsides (most of which are financial… author Kin Hubbard wrote “A boat is a hole in the water into which you pour money”).

So – is there some truth in these aphorisms? Do please read on – and decide for yourself.

Given the costs of maintaining a boat on the water we determined in advance that ours would live on the land. This restricted the type and size of boat that we could buy but also cut out considerable expense. The 20ft Double Eagle – with a hefty V8 and stern drive as power source – weighs a couple of tons on the trailer. One man on his own can float and recover this beast at the boat launch, but it is easier – and safer – should this happen to be a fit younger man. Such things become considerably more arduous as one ages.

For the first few years of ownership we adopted a compromise solution. Being unashamed fair-weather boaters we kept the boat safely on the driveway alongside our house during the winter and then rented a slip in one or other of the local marinas during the summer months.

At first this seemed to work out reasonably well. Then – around the turn of the decade – two things happened which interrupted our slow but steady boating progress.

Here at the southernmost extremity of Vancouver Island we do not get that much snow. Every now and again, however…! During early 2019 a fall of more than a foot of very wet snow split Dignity’s aging Bimini cover and dumped a huge pile of snow into the cockpit. The snow slowly melted over the next couple of weeks, but locating a company that could make us a replacement top took the next year and a half. It also took three different companies (one went out of business; one suffered an illness; the third did a good job!) and the loss of some hundreds of dollars in un-recovered deposits.

Then – no sooner than we were finally re-equipped with the necessary canvas – the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Now, one might not have expected the pandemic to have affected boaters that much, but several of our local marinas took the opportunity to close their gates to carry out renovations and upgrades whilst everything else was locked down.

By the time that we felt again inclined to mingle with our fellow men (and women) we were most of the way through 2021 and Dignity’s keel had not touched the saltchuck for nearly four years.

Things did not improve over the succeeding seasons. Several times I took Dignity to Seapower Marine for servicing – only to be informed that a variety of issues had arisen that also required fixing before the boat could safely be taken to sea. These issues naturally took time to fix – as well as time to accumulate the necessary funds. Amongst other matters that we dealt with were a cracked manifold, a dead alternator and starter motor, a sticking throttle cable, dead batteries and decaying high tension cabling.

By 2024 the cumulative effect of these various issues – along with the fact that I had now entered my 70s and must needs be aware of my physical limitations – led me inexorably to the conclusion that it was time to pass Dignity on to a new – and more enthusiastic (younger!) – owner.

As ever it took a while to get everything shipshape, but in the latter part of last summer – and with a heavy heart – I advertised Dignity for sale. I had serious concerns that the economic and political climate that now prevails would make this a difficult time to sell a boat; as it turned out I did so to the second potential purchaser who came to have a look. Dignity now resides in Port Alice – towards the north end of Vancouver Island – and I am delighted to report that the owner is a huge enthusiast for the Double Eagle.

I hope that it goes without saying that we were very sad to see the good ship Dignity depart – but I do know in my heart that it was the right decision.

As to whether or not I will ever own another boat (presumably a considerably smaller one!)… Who can say?