21-foot Cabin Cruiser

Dad christening the L'il Carol

It must have taken him two years to build the boat and trailer. Nights and weekends in the garage. Steaming wood in the bathtub, de-burring stainless steel welds, laying fiberglass, sanding and varnishing.

The launch physics were complicated. He'd back the trailer in until you could begin to hear the car's tailpipe bubbling in the water. One last shout of instructions. With everyone in place, he'd jerk the Chevy forward to shake the boat loose. The freed boat's momentum would rarely favor the person holding the bow line. Success was measured by how dry you could stay.