kapnkd
kapnkd
The Name on YOUR Transom and MORE! – Lifelong thoughts and reflections from life's experiences as the same 45 year original owner of an Ericson.
The name of one's boat often becomes a personal statement to a special belief, freedom or recognition of something special that may have occurred in one's life (hopefully)!
Over the years, I've seen many clever transoms reflecting exactly just this. Things like “Legal” for an attorney or “Docs Out” for a Dr. and even “Out House” for a house boat for a more comical approach. (The list can go on and on! It is worth, at the least, a special blog/column of it's own for sure!) ...One of the best and most true that most of us will relate to is "Money Pit"!!
When we bought our E-32 II new in '73 – we unanimously named her “Big Diehl” as with our last name being “Diehl”, that IS exactly just what she was! ...Expensive at the time, but DAM(N)!! was she ever pretty and worth every penny!! I had to go 50/50 with my parents, at age 29, to afford her back then. Dad was a catamaran lover and had one already, my mother couldn't even swim - not to mention my (then) wife wanted a house (of all things!) instead of a boat!!!
At any rate, ...down the road, not too shortly thereafter, the then wife disappeared and I had to honorably stick with it all – including our condo, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just to keep up my ½ share of the boating bargain payments. (Lots more to this story but NOT worth getting into!)
Ultimately, down the road, I survived, eventually remarried and eventually totally bought my parents share of the boat out. With a new son soon thereafter on the scene, I DID make him ½ owner of the boat at the tender age of 5 – as soon as he could write his own name! Some of you may be familiar with Cary (???). (Best TRUE story was his innocently asking right afterward was, “Dad, which half is mine??” to which I cleverly responded in TRUE seasoned skipper fashion, “THE BROKEN HALF!” ...At That point, we also officially renamed our E-32 from “Big Diehl” to “CaryOn” in HIS name to literally "Carry On" with her after I am gone. (AFTER ALL...NAMES DO HAVE MEANINGS!!)
Little did I know over the years his passion and love of boating would seriously grow leading him to ultimately becoming an engineer within the automotive field! He started out in Naval Architecture but soon realized that it was a very limited field success wise. Thanks to engineering friends at our club, he made some incredibly wise choices that have now led him to a VERY successful and promising career.
Through him and his incredible never ending quest for marine technological knowledge (while still working at West Marine to pay for college) HE became THE true guru of repair and preserving our boat, not to mention THE go to guy for any and ALL repairs or solutions for problems for the rest of the club as well!
Thanks to young Cary, we've managed to keep our boat up in incredible fashion to say the least. He has far exceeded me in abilities and knowledge over the years with regard to boating in a vast area of material abilities and technology. (I'm no slouch either - given my years of experiences plus having held a USCG license for 100 GT – Unlimited waters.) Frankly, it just doesn't get any better than this for me! As a seasoned 45 year owner of a 32 Ericson – WOW!! our Ericson and the Ford Yacht club helped shape his life into an incredible career for him – not to mention preserve our boat for his (and his new wife's) enjoyment and pleasure!! (Can't wait for future grandchildren to get them into boating as well as a grandpa!!!
I guess what I am trying to convey is that owning this boat has been an incredible tool and blessing in helping to shape not only my world of sailing but to bring my offspring up in and teach him the world through nature, recognition of it, self reliance and confidence in navigating it regardless of the circumstances. (Why else do we go down to the sea???) May YOUR Ericson boats do the same for YOU!!!!
Also, I would hope going forward, the two of us can possibly utilize our experiences and knowledge of “Been There Done It” and be of help to others of you in maintaining, preserving, restoring in keeping the Ericson Logo on our waters and bays!
(Old) kerry - kapnkd
The name of one's boat often becomes a personal statement to a special belief, freedom or recognition of something special that may have occurred in one's life (hopefully)!
Over the years, I've seen many clever transoms reflecting exactly just this. Things like “Legal” for an attorney or “Docs Out” for a Dr. and even “Out House” for a house boat for a more comical approach. (The list can go on and on! It is worth, at the least, a special blog/column of it's own for sure!) ...One of the best and most true that most of us will relate to is "Money Pit"!!
When we bought our E-32 II new in '73 – we unanimously named her “Big Diehl” as with our last name being “Diehl”, that IS exactly just what she was! ...Expensive at the time, but DAM(N)!! was she ever pretty and worth every penny!! I had to go 50/50 with my parents, at age 29, to afford her back then. Dad was a catamaran lover and had one already, my mother couldn't even swim - not to mention my (then) wife wanted a house (of all things!) instead of a boat!!!
At any rate, ...down the road, not too shortly thereafter, the then wife disappeared and I had to honorably stick with it all – including our condo, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just to keep up my ½ share of the boating bargain payments. (Lots more to this story but NOT worth getting into!)
Ultimately, down the road, I survived, eventually remarried and eventually totally bought my parents share of the boat out. With a new son soon thereafter on the scene, I DID make him ½ owner of the boat at the tender age of 5 – as soon as he could write his own name! Some of you may be familiar with Cary (???). (Best TRUE story was his innocently asking right afterward was, “Dad, which half is mine??” to which I cleverly responded in TRUE seasoned skipper fashion, “THE BROKEN HALF!” ...At That point, we also officially renamed our E-32 from “Big Diehl” to “CaryOn” in HIS name to literally "Carry On" with her after I am gone. (AFTER ALL...NAMES DO HAVE MEANINGS!!)
Little did I know over the years his passion and love of boating would seriously grow leading him to ultimately becoming an engineer within the automotive field! He started out in Naval Architecture but soon realized that it was a very limited field success wise. Thanks to engineering friends at our club, he made some incredibly wise choices that have now led him to a VERY successful and promising career.
Through him and his incredible never ending quest for marine technological knowledge (while still working at West Marine to pay for college) HE became THE true guru of repair and preserving our boat, not to mention THE go to guy for any and ALL repairs or solutions for problems for the rest of the club as well!
Thanks to young Cary, we've managed to keep our boat up in incredible fashion to say the least. He has far exceeded me in abilities and knowledge over the years with regard to boating in a vast area of material abilities and technology. (I'm no slouch either - given my years of experiences plus having held a USCG license for 100 GT – Unlimited waters.) Frankly, it just doesn't get any better than this for me! As a seasoned 45 year owner of a 32 Ericson – WOW!! our Ericson and the Ford Yacht club helped shape his life into an incredible career for him – not to mention preserve our boat for his (and his new wife's) enjoyment and pleasure!! (Can't wait for future grandchildren to get them into boating as well as a grandpa!!!
I guess what I am trying to convey is that owning this boat has been an incredible tool and blessing in helping to shape not only my world of sailing but to bring my offspring up in and teach him the world through nature, recognition of it, self reliance and confidence in navigating it regardless of the circumstances. (Why else do we go down to the sea???) May YOUR Ericson boats do the same for YOU!!!!
Also, I would hope going forward, the two of us can possibly utilize our experiences and knowledge of “Been There Done It” and be of help to others of you in maintaining, preserving, restoring in keeping the Ericson Logo on our waters and bays!
(Old) kerry - kapnkd