Swift

Arguments in the Boat Yard

Lagoon 380 sail catamaran in the boat yard
Boat Yard Living! Camp Chairs, Pallet Table, Trash, and a poor, sad dog in a crate. 
"I think they’ve finally had that argument!” Harry, the forklift operator at Manta Point Boat Works, told the diesel mechanic, Fred. “HA! Tell me more!” Fred said. Nothing cheered him more than other people’s misery. "Wait, let me get out the bet book and see who won."

"Well, I was walking by their boat. You know how they've been removing the old striping? Now they are working on new striping. God knows why, when there was nothing wrong with the old stripes. These people are insane, but I don’t have to tell you that."

Lagoon 380 sailboat pinstripe removal
Pinstripe removal
"Yeah". Fred was finding the right page in the small notebook. "I've given them all sorts of advice, but they insist on doing everything the stupid old way. I think she's just using her fingernails!" Fred paused before continuing. "Just checking here. I said two hours, Harry said 5 hours, Ivan said 3 days and Sarah said they’d hold off until the last day. It’s been 6 days, and they’re at least 2 weeks from re-launch, so I guess it’s Ivan that won” Fred said. "But tell me the rest!"

"So, they put on a few feet of the new boot stripe. Apparently it wasn’t good enough, so they pulled it off. It got crumpled up and put in the trash. He said “Hold it steady next time” and She said “It’s too windy”. There was definitely a tone,” Harry said.

“A tone, huh? That’s not very exciting.” Fred said. "Remember when Wilma and Pete had it out over sanding technique? You could hear them from the grocery store! Then the boat just sat there racking up storage fees, with no propellers and a half - done bottom paint while they got a divorce and sold the boat at 50% value?” 

“That was classic", said Harry. "I hear she moved to Montana and married a rancher."

“Who could blame her?" Fred said. "Anyway, according to the rule book, you had to hear the yelling from three boats away, and, preferably, someone should have walked off. Slamming doors is a plus."

"I could have heard them from three boats away if the wind was blowing in the right direction and it was a bit colder.” Harry was feeling dejected. Maybe there would be no winner’s beer today.

“Just so you know, the stripes are different. The old ones were skinny and blue and the new one is wide and gray. Also, I think the dolphin art they’re working on is cool”. Fred and Harry turned to look at Ivan, who had been silent up to this point. 

 “It’s not a dolphin, Ivan, it’s an elf," said Fred. He was feeling increasingly aggravated with his coworkers and made a mental note to check jobs.com that night. 

  “You guys are so stupid,” said Harry. "Its obviously a drawing of HER. Now they’re getting a boat divorce though, I bet it will be the first thing to be removed.” 

 At that moment, Sarah walked in the office, slamming the door behind her. "Will you boys pipe down? she said. "I was just admiring the mermaid art on the Claiborne’s boat and could hear you arguing from there - 3 boats down!”


This is the story of Matt, Lucy and Hastings, the crew of the sailing vessel Dulcinea, a 1985 Cabo Rico 38.

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8 comments

  1. The Cynical SailorSeptember 26, 2016 at 8:58 AM

    This is brilliant! When are you going to start writing a book? Can't wait to see your stripes and artwork. Although, I had assumed it would be a big picture of Hastings that you'd be putting on the boat with stripes made out of tiny paw prints.

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    1. Boat Life Larks - S/V DulcineaSeptember 26, 2016 at 9:12 AM

      Thanks Ellen! I don't have the attention span for anything over 2000 words at the moment.
      We hadn't thought of the paw prints! By next haul out, I'll be sick of gray, and probably peel it all off. Then it can be a dog pirate boat!

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  2. Jules BendingSeptember 26, 2016 at 10:27 AM

    Ha ha!

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  3. LiesbetSeptember 26, 2016 at 11:36 AM

    Funny blog, Lucy! It is extremely hard to put stripes on straight! Good luck... We had 4 barefoot prints (for us) on the port bow and 8 paw prints (for both the dogs) on the starboard bow. Or, it might have been the other way around :-) How do you like the shady, breezy area underneath the cat? Too bad Hastings has to be in a crate while you are outside...

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    1. Boat Life Larks - S/V DulcineaSeptember 26, 2016 at 5:19 PM

      Love the prints idea! Yes, we love the area between two hulls... but hate the twice the work with two hulls! Hastings doesn't like being in the crate. The floor here is basically made of bottom paint sanding which Hastings loves to roll in. This isn't good for his coloring or his health! No one is gonna miss the boat yard!

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    2. LiesbetSeptember 26, 2016 at 7:59 PM

      Ah, the memories. I am very happy in this house right now! :-) At least the temperature should be pretty much ideal for boat yard work now. :-)

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    3. Boat Life Larks - S/V DulcineaSeptember 26, 2016 at 8:34 PM

      Yes! It's been in the 70's, so we can't complain about that!

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