- Mar 10, 2004
- 5,113
My dad got me into boating when I was 2 or 3. On the Chesapeake many people use their boats as vacation homes or 2nd homes. My dad, who had sailed most of his life, got us a 26' something or other sailboat. For 2 adults, one dog and 4 kids to do weekends on. That lasted for about a year and then he moved up to a 34' sailboat that we had until I was probably 12. We spent almost every summer weekend on it. Hardly ever went anywhere. This was all at Georgetown Yacht Basin on the sassafras. I was the prince of that place, along with the Ford kids as they literally owned the place and lived at the top of the hill.
I went everywhere with my life jacket on until I was probably 8 or so. One morning I was just going to brush my teeth, had my tooth brush in one had and toothpaste in the other. One of those brief moments when I didn't put on my lifejacket for some reason. I was probably 4. Our standing orders for the summer was that we'd get in big trouble if we lost our toothbrushes, we were only getting one! Somehow I managed to fall in, and you can imagine how difficult it is for a 4 year old, clothed, that probably doesn't know how to swim, try to keep his head above water while grasping to a toothbrush and toothpaste. Everybody in the boat though it was some ducks outside splashing around, so nobody was coming to help me. Somehow, one of my older brothers thought to check it out and found me starting to drown. He pulled me to safety. It was ugly.
Once I turned 12 we sold the boat, then 4 years later got a 47' Motoryacht that we had until I was 26 or so. My dad only ever got good enough to get the job done, but was never a gifted boat handler. Maybe 2 months into owning it we got into a situation in Chestertown with a boat docked ahead of us and behind us, and the current pushing us against the dock. I had visualized how to operate the boat plenty by then. I remember my dad tried to get us out of there and couldn't. It had the makings of an expensive departure. I told him I could do it, and did. Got us right out of there no problem. I think all the time I spent as a toddler and kid rowing around our dinghy growing up really helped me to understand the physics of boat handling.
In the years up until now I've operated just about every kind of boat you can think of. Owe it all to my dad.
I went everywhere with my life jacket on until I was probably 8 or so. One morning I was just going to brush my teeth, had my tooth brush in one had and toothpaste in the other. One of those brief moments when I didn't put on my lifejacket for some reason. I was probably 4. Our standing orders for the summer was that we'd get in big trouble if we lost our toothbrushes, we were only getting one! Somehow I managed to fall in, and you can imagine how difficult it is for a 4 year old, clothed, that probably doesn't know how to swim, try to keep his head above water while grasping to a toothbrush and toothpaste. Everybody in the boat though it was some ducks outside splashing around, so nobody was coming to help me. Somehow, one of my older brothers thought to check it out and found me starting to drown. He pulled me to safety. It was ugly.
Once I turned 12 we sold the boat, then 4 years later got a 47' Motoryacht that we had until I was 26 or so. My dad only ever got good enough to get the job done, but was never a gifted boat handler. Maybe 2 months into owning it we got into a situation in Chestertown with a boat docked ahead of us and behind us, and the current pushing us against the dock. I had visualized how to operate the boat plenty by then. I remember my dad tried to get us out of there and couldn't. It had the makings of an expensive departure. I told him I could do it, and did. Got us right out of there no problem. I think all the time I spent as a toddler and kid rowing around our dinghy growing up really helped me to understand the physics of boat handling.
In the years up until now I've operated just about every kind of boat you can think of. Owe it all to my dad.
