Rosebud

So her name is Rosebud. She got this name from my mother-in-law Libby, who uses this term of endearment for her four granddaughters. Rosebud was left neglected on the shore of the St. Lawrence River on an Island called Murray Island. This property is on a small inlet on the west side of the island ... which is now owned by Libby and my father-in-law Chuck. After the property was purchased we all went to take a look at the land and cottage and to our surprise found this little gem lying, keel up, on the grass. I use the term "gem" loosely. We rolled her over, and although the ribs seemed in good shape there was a tremendous amount of rot. The gunwales were a mess, the keel was rotten, and the transom seemed to be falling apart ... a gem alright. My wife Sarah and I had the following conversation that night:

S  :  "I love that boat. I don't know why, but I love it."
Me  :  "Yeah, and ..."
S  :  "I want you to fix it up"
Me  : "I have no idea how to 'fix up' a boat"
S  :  "You are handy."
Me  :  "Handy, and boat restoration are not necessarily the same thing."
S  :  "I just love it."
Me  :  "Seriously? Are we serious here?"
S  :  "I can't explain it. I want that boat"
Me  :  "Okay, I will take a closer look next time we are there."
S  :  "I know you can fix it up. I can't wait to have you row me out into the river and serenade me with a ukulele."
Me  :  "Learning the ukulele will be harder than fixing that damn boat. Plus if I am serenading, you will have to be rowing."

So predictably, Sarah and her vision won out. This boat is now in our garage up on saw horses and ready for her make-over.

Rosebud Slideshow

How did she get off that island you ask? An interesting tale that almost ended with a scuttled boat, and me in the drink.