Shipbuilding

J.P. Morgan had his Corsair, Noah had his Ark, Thor Heyerdahl had his Kon-Tiki, The Admiral has his LapStitch, and I’ve got nothing. Nothing! Of all the obvious things we want as parents – good schools, happy children, a secure future – at the top of my list is a boat. And I want to build it. The Admiral has worked on his boat (still unnamed) for a year, and last Sunday, while gathering for a cookout, we raised her mainsail for the first time. It’s a thing of beauty.

There are a lot of projects to be completed around Castilo Urf! Okay, there are a lot of projects yet to even be begun. Trust me, though, I know what they all are. What I would like to do is sneak “build a boat” from somewhere down around number 782 up to the top of the list, but Big Mama is watching. She’s also in constant contact with Mrs. The Admiral, who is a shipbuilding widow. Hours upon hours, to hear her tell it, were spent in the shipyard. Kristy doesn’t want me away from the family that much, although my shipyard is only six feet – one fathom! - from the family, in the backyard. Or perhaps it’s because at some point in the course of fastening, sanding, shaping and varnishing, Mrs. The Admiral became pregnant, and Kristy doesn’t want that happening here anymore. It seems natural, though, that once you build your vessel, you’ll need a crew to sail her. The Admiral is working on his crew of two for his 12-footer. I’m thinking that with my 18-footer and crew of four, we can easily overtake them. My little band of pirates and I could sail the world, claiming beaches as our own and searching for treasure. And there will be no end to the laughter every time I mention booty or poop deck.

Building a boat would be much more than just putting wood and varnish together. It would be a project I could do with my kids, something we’d remember forever, something that would bond us, like epoxy. And once she’s built, we’ll learn to sail together. That makes a pretty picture of family time, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it, Kristy? So please can I hoist that one little project up? I don’t even mind if it’s just below painting the house, yet just above the Tesla coil and re-building the Honda Rebel 250.