Lust, boatyard blues & cautionary tales

Some men go to the gym, others collect stamps, some make music, whilst others get slaughtered in the pub - me - I probably spend too much time lusting after other people's boats !

The last time I had the opportunity to look at my own sad little boat, there was a very hearty collection of brambles growing six feet away from it and after seeing this delightful boat avec winter fruits I am getting a little worried. I feel a trip to the boatyard coming on !

I might make the time to check that the cover is still in one piece and that the greenery is restricted to ground level and not emanating from inside the cabin ! Who knows, I might even undo the cats cradle of ropes holding said cover in place. I might peek inside and who knows, I might stay long enough to day-dream a little - of a time when the new mast and sails are straining, filling with a gentle breeze, with me at the helm plotting a course for some distant shore.

You may ask why am I lusting after another boat when I own two already - well I make no apologies - I am a collector of lost causes and that's that. Old wooden boats just sing out to me ! There are so many different types all made for different purposes and different conditions. It's a bit like cars - a Landrover and a two seater sports car are very different - each with its own unique personality.

Salvation may be at hand though, I may just be on the turn, I spent a couple of hours at a boatyard in Woodbridge the other day and although seriously tempted, I resisted the urge. I thought of my "Dolphin" with her spoon bow, long keel, full transom, bowsprit, huge gaff and even longer boom. I thought of lazy days tied up alongside a quay in Brittany or dodging mudbanks on the East Coast - I also thought of the admiring glances of others who hadn't quite finished their "little projects" and those, like me, who were impatient, who craved for a boat that worked ! I draw the line at boats that are in a worse condition than my own - however pretty they may be. But then again, something with a nice counter stern, that gets over on her ear and really slices through the waves. . . . oh dear there is no cure !!!!