Wide Open

[gofastsandman]

I think I`m too much of a newbie to have seen Ringleaders work. SOOOOOO much to learn. Much gratitude and thanks for all the help. Haven`t had a boat since the age of 12. 13` Whaler and a Beetlecat. It`s a quaint little old wooden semi displacement gaff rigged sailboat that CAN`T be capsized by dumb kids. I brought dumb to a new level. Flying jibe anyone?

Thx,
GFS

[Fr. Frank]

a quaint little old wooden semi displacement gaff rigged sailboat that CAN`T be capsized by dumb kids. I brought dumb to a new level. Flying jibe anyone?

Man O man. I laughed so hard. I clearly recall the effects of my first "flying jibe" in my 8 1/2" sailing punt, when I was 8 years old. After one of my dumber stunts, my grandfather once said, "NEVER underestimate the potential stupidity of the truly ingenious."

[gofastsandman]

Jibe HOOOO. Splash. Bunny Howard was a great sport, and sailor of massive local repute in Barnstable, Ma..He took care of the entire "fleet". Launchings , embarassing situations etc.Great Boatwright. Old school. We moved when I was 12 and I`m finally back where I belong!
Thx Father!
See you in Sebastian

[gofastsandman]

It gets better Father Frank. I didn`t just capsize , I pulled a full turtle in the cut channel over by the saddle of Sandy Neck in Barnstable harbor.In the middle of an out going tide! The rudder was just a drop on affair that thankfully floated nearby. I lashed it to the tiller. I swam under to raise,or was that lower the center board.The mainsail was another story, and the mast was getting VERY close to the muck. I ran the main sheet through the top er bottom gooseneck and lowered er raised the main sail. There was a Laser class race going on at the time and someone had called the committee boat over. We towed her in to the beach and rolled her over. I hand pumped her out and called it a day. Bunny Howard said no one had turtled a Beetlecat in recent memory. He wasn`t a young man at the time.

I stopped by at the end of the season in `93 , not having seen the place in 20 years. Now , BYC wasn`t much of a YC at all. It was really a place to drop the squids off to get them out of the house. No power or phone save for Bunny`s shop, no running water. We used to prime a hand pump w/ sea water. The water had the most wonderful flinty taste.

Bunny was about to haul a Rhodes 18 with that same old red tricycle gear Farmall tractor, as I walked over. We were the only ones in sight. He said , You come down in that Jeep with them Floooooridah tags on it? I said Hi Bunny. He squinted and said Oh your that Staaahhhk kid aintcha. I laughed and said the place looks great. I said Bunny the place hasn`t changed a bit. He said some places aint meant to change ya know. He asked Ya wanna crew? I said I`d love to. I had a great time sailing and asking what happened to so and so and catching up on lost time. There were only 2 piers , the well maintained main dock , and Bunny`s rickety old pier. He kept it that way on purpose. It held lots of flounder! I asked if he would mind. He said I was one of the only ones who ever fished it besides himself. I grabbed my rod and some mussels off a piling and he was right. Bunny liked flounder too. I gave him one and asked about the wife and kids as he did the same. Hows ya Mum n Dad n Brothahs n Sistahs is a close mental picture. Yup , some places aint meant ta change.

GFS
You can google John Howard and John Howard II aka Bunny and Beetle Cats to learn more. Commodore Howard was a legend.