"N1EE" wrote in message
om...
Were you working at Community Boating? I sailed out of
there for five years, and enjoyed walking along the Half
Shell. Community Boating had 81 total boats, including
51 Mercuries when I was there. I bet the Mercuries are
all still there.

I sailed at Community every summer day from the time I was 11 until I was 18.
They still have the Mercuries, plus a number of other boats. Price for juniors
is still $1 for the entire summer.

I never worked at Community, but I did spend some years at Harvard Sailing, on
the Cambidge side. You probably missed them - they built on a barge in 1972
directly across from the Hatch Shell. They had (still have?) a fleet of
InterClubs - the world's tippiest dinghies, and Larks, plus other assorted
relics.


We have three left at the boat club. This is where I
learned to sail, on these same Mercuries. Now, I'm in
charge of refurbishing them this year. They are tanks
--15.5' 630 lbs worth of solid fiberglass. These boat
are so tough, when the kids hit the dock, the dock gets
damanged.

In my first few days there I took the shore class, then went out once or twice
with other kids and decided I was ready to solo. Within 10 minutes I was
aground on the island, hauled off, and pointed back to the dock which I rammed
full speed! For penance, I had to take off and return 25 times - by the end of
that I knew how to sail.



Since we have three, and they will be used for the youngest
juniors--9 year olds. I was surprised to see they only had
numbers and no names. One nice thing about running the
project--I get to pick the names. I love naming boats.
There is an art to it. They must be fitting and cool.

I thought of kids crashing into docks and then I thought, three
boats, then I thought--"The Three Stooges". Moe, Larry and
Curly. I spent the moring sanding "Larry" down before I went
sailing.

I'm trying to find another boat or two for donation. Others
names could be named Nyuck, Nyuck-Nyuck, or Curly-Joe.

I learned on these same boats, nearly 39 years ago!

39 years? You may have just missed me - the summer of '65 my horizons were
expanding and I spent little time at Community.

I still
remember the centerboards, that drop like a guillotine. So I have
a certain foundness for them and want to make them look really
nice. These are getting new masts, new booms, new centerboards,
lots of new hardware, and new paint.


Yup, great boats, great club.