Good Old Boat Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022

Sailing Tales

Wiggling with excitement, we passed the boatyard office and made our way to the water- front. I saw her right away. “There she is!” I pointed and squealed. Her red stripe, white hull, and green sail covers were hard to miss. We jumped out and scurried down the dock until we reached her. Whippet . It was somewhat difficult to digest her eclectic color scheme, and as we got closer, I decided she was the nautical equivalent of Punky Brewster. Stepping aboard, we noticed freshly caulked seams on the teak decks and long, stout chainplates hugging her hull. The bowsprit pulpit was missing stanchions, and her lifelines dangled like shoulder straps on an evening dress that had been slept in. Her red-painted bowsprit jutted some 6 feet out, and on its tip, someone had installed a crudely painted silver propeller and a statue of an actual whippet’s head. It felt like conflicting banjos playing out of sync. And I loved every inch of it. We couldn’t

help smiling and giggling even as our eyes struggled to make sense of the odd adornments. Belowdecks, I slowly turned in a circle, resting my eyes on a beautiful teak table and settee with white leather cushions. Moving closer, I was shocked to discover someone had painted the buttons red. Yes, her white leather settee cushions had red polka dots. Forward was a cabin with a V-berth, head, and door. In the main cabin, a navigation station to port of the companionway had a spacious bench, chart table, and perfectly accessible electrical panel. The galley on the starboard side had a large ice box, sink, a gimbled stove, and teak sliding doors covering the shelves. I opened the aft cabin door and fell in love. Here was a separate, spacious cabin with a queen-sized bed, a second enclosed head, polished bronze portlights, and polished teak doors on a full-length closet. Opening the engine compartment behind the companionway steps, we turned on the light and were startled to see that

Nicole's dad stands on the boat's deck, upper right. The project has given him a new energy and inspiration.

Lehman started and purred. Throughout

the day and well into the evening, Dad inspected the boat and became familiar with her systems. Later that night, we chatted excitedly over dinner, planning and laughing. After six weeks and one survey, we bought her. We renamed her Bob. She needs a full refit including a new engine, sails, electronics, and canvas. Hopefully when we’re

from Evergreen State College and a juris doctorate from Taft University School of Law. She is an avid equestrian, animal lover, and sailor. Follow her on YouTube at Saddles & Sails.

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finished, with luck and an approving nod fromNeptune, we will leave the Chesapeake Bay and head south. It’s a lot. And I know it. But for the first time in years, there is pep in Dad’s step, a fire in his belly, and his green eyes are dancing again. We’re on another adventure. Momwould approve. Nicole Black Robey was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she lives with her father and husband. She has a master’s degree

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the engine, hoses, and wires were covered in gold spray paint. Bewildered and curious, Dad located the key and nervously turned it. Much to our surprise, the old Ford

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Whippet , before her name change, waits on the hard, where Nicole and her dad have been steadily prepping her for a trip south.

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