Three Little Boats

This tale begins back in early July, 2016, only two months after we returned home from our second Bahamas trip.

You just can’t take the sail out of the man. It was Al’s decision to sell our Morgan 43 and transition to a trawler, but it would appear that he misses the wind. I didn’t realize that he was searching for a small sailboat until he announced that we might take a drive and stop to look at this little “penguin.” Penguin??? A pet? I thought we were sure our lifestyle didn’t include a pet. Ahh, no, this penguin was a small sailboat. “Small” was defined as “fits in our garage.”

We took a drive to Noank to look at an 11-foot Penguin sailboat in Noank.

SOLD.  A new project for Al! I am all in favor of new projects for him. There isn’t as much to do on Kindred Spirit anymore so I live in fear that he will sell her just to have another boat to reinvent and remodel.

We had the original bill of sale with the boat so we researched as much as we could about the boats. This one was Hull #7746, fiberglass, and originally sold to a man in Illinois in 1967 through McNair Marine in Higganum, CT. Many of the Penguins were wooden “kit boats” that you built yourself.

Al got right to work repairing dings and cracks, and painting the interior and exterior.

Before the month was over, we were on our way to look at a Catalina Capri 14.2. Al was secretly researching small trailer-able sailboats that would be more comfortable and less tippy. He decided a Catalina Capri would do nicely. It was somewhat fitting since we had loved our Catalina 34 sailboat. It only took two possibilities to settle on one with a good price.

A deal was made for the boat and the trailer so off we went. But not very far, I am sad to say. The wheel froze to the axel on the trailer, broke off, and the wheel went spinning across three lanes on I-95. Oh no! Oh no!  There was no way either one of us was going to cross three lanes of traffic to fetch that wheel sitting on the opposite side of the highway. Cars were whizzing past us. We had the trailer and boat towed to a garage in Stamford to be repaired. Cha-ching.

The Capri 14.2  fit in the garage, but the mast didn’t. When backing the trailer into the garage with the mast stored on its deck, it can’t be any longer than 17 feet to fit in our 18-foot long garage.

Our first sail on Marigold was October 19th, a gorgeous day. We both agreed that the Capri 14.2 was much more comfortable to sail than the Penguin.

And then it was time for winter hibernation. Marigold can’t stay in the garage for the winter, the truck needs the garage.

There is a third boat in this tale. In February, while I was visiting my parents in Pennsylvania, Al sent me photos of a new acquisition. It was such a deal, how could he resist it??? He bought a Super Snark , an 11-foot simple sailboat.

Here is the photo that Al sent to me. It was February, but he was thinking sailing, even in the snow. I really can’t leave him home alone.

The amusing part of this purchase wasn’t the price (very, very inexpensive), but the reason why the seller was parting with his Snark. He told Al that he was moving to a “55 and older” community and just didn’t have space to store the boat. Hmmmmm….. and where do we live?? In a “55 and older” community. I just had to laugh. LOL.

Al sent this photo to prove to me that we did have space for the little boat. There it is tucked on top of the inflatable dinghy that hangs from the garage ceiling during the winter.

Snark is one of the largest sailboat manufacturers. Over 500,000 Snark sailboats have been made since 1958 and are still in production. They were even sold through Sears and Penney’s catalogs.  The Snark is an 11-foot solid expanded polystyrene foam hull covered with a thin layer of ABS polymer (plastic). A new one sells for $1221 now.

In 1971, Kool cigarettes initiated an advertising campaign where consumers could mail order a Snark with the Kool logo on the sail – for  $99 along with one KOOL carton flap –  including delivery. Guess who acquired a used one of those??? I refer you to our 50+ Years of Boats page in this blog where you will see the one Al had. Here it is again, below.

This little Snark only needed new lines, some varnish and cleaning.

On our first trip to Block Island this summer, the Snark was added to the “fleet”, joining the two kayaks on the sides of the flybridge.

Click on the video below for an 8 seconds of Snark in action —

Here is my dilemma. I don’t mind that Al has another sailboat, especially since this one can be carried along on the trawler for a little sailing while we are out and about. He is having so much fun with it. But, I can’t think of a name for this one. It’s called a “snark.” Seriously, what can you do with that? The only definitions for snark are:

• A snide, sarcastic, or disrespectful attitude  To be snarky is to be cranky or irritable.
• It’s origin is said to be from Lewis Carroll (as in Alice in Wonderful) in his nonsense poem, The Hunting of the Snark, 1876 The snark was a fanciful creature he created. The long poem did involve a boat and its crew, but it makes very little, if any sense…
              “We have sailed many weeks, we have sailed many days,
                         (Seven days to the week I allow),
                  But a Snark, on the which we might lovingly gaze,
                           We have never beheld till now!”

I hope that the Snark sailboat company was leaning more towards the silly poem rather than the actual definition. Soooo, what can I name this little boat?  The hull is a rusty red, the sails are blues, white, and red. I would like to keep the flower theme going, but I am at a loss. Any suggestions???? Chrysanthemum? Rosey? Zinnia? Poppy?

Taking a page out of Bob Marley’s songbook, with just a little twist on one word …..

“Rise up this mornin’
Smiled with the risin’ sun
Three little boats
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true
Saying’, (this is my message to you)

Singing’ don’t worry ’bout a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing’ don’t worry  ’bout a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright”

‘Cause you can’t have too many boats

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