Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit is the name of our new family car (dinghy).  Our son Curt came up with it. We wanted a name which described her speed (as compared to Patches, our retired dinghy) and endurance. Seabiscuit is a step up from Patches. She has a hard V-shaped bottom, and a 9.9 HP outboard; which enables her to plane and attain much better speed. She is better suited for life in the islands, where distances from anchor to shore are greater, seas are bigger, and carrying loads heavier (water and fuel will be brought on board via jerry cans). She’ll keep us drier too, as she rides higher in the water.

Seabiscuit also came with a trailer. So, we asked the kids to transport Patches and her 4HP outboard back home with it. Though they weren’t too keen on it, they obliged us this favour. Gil put the old outboard in the trunk, and collapsed Patches and tied her down to the trailer. We decided to send home several other items as well (winter clothing and bedding), which Gil also packaged and tied down to the trailer.

The kids left Key Largo before dawn. Gil & I were in the cottage rental enjoying our last real showers, and the great coffee and scones offered by the lodge, when we received a call from the kids. “We’re ditching the trailer. It’s not safe!” The shackles on the springs were compromised and so the axle started to go out of alignment…. or something like that… I’m not sure I have that totally right, but it wasn’t good. The kids had pulled over on the side of the highway, and were leaving it there. Gil asked that they remove our Ontario plates, and attempt to find a place to dispose of it. I felt for the kids as this was not a headache they needed …. it’s a 30 hr. drive home and they were doing it in 2 days. As it turned out, the kids called Junkaroo, an enterprise which would come to pick it up and possess it. They dealt with that headache quite swiftly, and were on their way again. It wasn’t long before the kids received a call from Junkaroo … they couldn’t locate the trailer. The kids felt sure that someone must have beat Junkaroo to it! So Patches may have an afterlife.