Sometimes I’m destined to do stupid things. No matter how well intentioned or thought out something may (or may not) be, some of those things are destined to be stupid.
My first (and potentially last) Laser was one that I thought was a pretty good deal when I came across it on Craigslist. It was complete, had a dolly, sails and was ready to go. It was a bit of a haul to get up to Essex where the boat was being sold and by the time Kris and I found it, it was late in the day. We looked it over and thought is was relatively clean but had obviously had some use and ever repair work. Sure the pieces were all there, but they were heavily used. After a long conversation with Kris, she convinced me that this was the one and we made an offer which was all but refused and we wound up paying almost the asking price of $1,100. I turned down the worthless rusted home made “dolly” and opted to put it on the roof rack which because of the seller’s interest in having the boat removed as quickly as possible from the property… scratched the fresh paint on the Laser.
Having a little buyer’s remorse, I assembled it in the back yard and got it cleaned up and ready for it’s first sail which would not be for a month or two. When I finally got it out on the water, Kris brought along a Sunfish to sail with me and we headed out into the Magothy River. It was the perfect day for a first ever sail: warm enough that falling in was not an issue and about 8 knts of steady breeze… light by most definitions, but for someone leery of dingy sailing it was great.
I made my way off the beach and got out around 50 yards when my first “gust” of 10 knots brushed my cheek and what should my eyes spy? The mast fitting in the deck giving way and breaking most of the deck in pieces. I got the boat back to shore with some help, towed it back to the house where I swore profusely at it for hours and put it upside down in the backyard for 2 years.
After the two years of cooling off, Kris bought the necessary parts from APS for me to repair the boat and bring it up to beater shape. I spent a couple weekends performing the most atrocious fiberglass repair known to man, but the boat now sails and is now the most expensive beater boat on the east coast having spent $1,100 on it to start, then over $500 on repairing it and another $400 on a new dolly to tote the thing around on the beach. Like I said: Stupid.
