{"id":7443,"date":"2017-07-23T12:22:37","date_gmt":"2017-07-23T17:22:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=7443"},"modified":"2017-07-24T07:51:26","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T12:51:26","slug":"pandoras-box-truck-a-crisis-of-sorts-and-some-wonderful-boats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=7443","title":{"rendered":"Pandora’s Box Truck, a crisis of sorts and some wonderful boats."},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been nearly ten days since my last post\/confession; forgive me, for I have sinned…<\/p>\n

Yes, it’s been a while but it’s tough to come up with something to write about as I’ve been busy cutting lawns, doing household chores and other decidedly landlocked chores. \u00a0Last night at an event at Essex Yacht Club, Jim, the manager at the marina where I have Pandora stored, came up to me and said “Bob, where have you been? Pandora’s just sitting there and you haven’t been around!” \u00a0Yes, indeed. \u00a0 True and without much in the way of “simply messing about in boats”, I haven’t got much to say.<\/p>\n

However, you can rest assured that I\u00a0have been doing plenty of “thinking about boats” and my office is\u00a0getting quite messy, piled high with stuff that I have assembled complete with replacement parts and such, for Pandora so it’s high time that I visit her. \u00a0Alas, not quite yet…<\/p>\n

I should note that, in spite of not being aboard, I have at least been focused on our\u00a0plans for next winter, including focusing on lining up crew and I may have two signed up to run her south. \u00a0Jim, who was with me this spring on our run north has tentatively agreed to join me in Hampton in late October for my run to Tortola. \u00a0I enjoyed having Jim along so hopefully he will be able to swing the time to make the trip. \u00a0I’ve also been talking to Mark, the captain of that yacht I crewed on to run from Greenport to Ft Lauderdale last fall. \u00a0He may have some time and might be able to make the run with me on Pandora and do some “slumming” for a bit. \u00a0I’d like that although I don’t know if he even remembers what a sail is since he’s spent some much time on big motor yachts. \u00a0 \u00a0I wrote about our run south in a number of posts last September and\u00a0this one is a pretty good summary<\/a>. \u00a0 I also wrote a number of other\u00a0posts, as we made our way south, burning 1,500 gallons of fuel per day, from September 8th through the 16th. \u00a0 It was quite a trip. (note: You can pull up the September 2016 posts by scrolling down and clicking on the month)<\/p>\n

And, speaking of “Pandora’s box truck”as in the title, which I was until I became hopelessly sidetracked, I was intrigued by some of the little trucks that I saw in the islands over the winter like this one in\u00a0St Barths. \u00a0 These are not marketed in the US, in part because they would not fare well in a “shootout” with a Ford F350, I expect.\u00a0\"\"When I got home this spring, I happened to see one of these little trucks at a local car repair shop and stopped to ask about it. \u00a0 Well, one thing lead to another and I found a source, a company in Queens NY that imports them directly from Japan. \u00a0Of course, they are not road legal as they can’t pass emissions or safety regulations needed to be registered for use on American roads. \u00a0However, not to be deterred, I did some research and decided that I just had to have one. \u00a0You see, I do need a car\/truck to cart stuff back and forth from Pandora to home right? \u00a0 Road legal you say? \u00a0Not to worry, as if a car is over 25 years old it is considered an “antique” and thus exempt from such frivolities such as EPA and safety issues.<\/p>\n

So, here’s Pandora’s Box Truck in all her splendor. \u00a0Notice the “monster tires”. \u00a0\"\"Delivering a 9.5′ dink. \u00a0Bid dink or little truck? \u00a0Hmm…\"\"Not big you say? \u00a0Can you take her on a highway? \u00a0Never mind. \u00a0It’s fun to drive and seems big when I maneuver her to park in the garage. \u00a0 Actually, she fits fine\u00a0along with Brenda’s VW, our MGA, and even under our Adirondack guide boat, all in a two car garage. \u00a0How convenient. \u00a0How cozy. \u00a0And look, there’s even room for several garbage cans. \u00a0Isn’t that practical? \u00a0Totally!\"\"While I am on the subject of practical. and so you don’t think that Pandora’s Box truck is all just for fun, here’s proof that she’s a hard working truck. \u00a0Getting mulch at the dump. \u00a0I hope the dumper-truck-guy didn’t wet himself when he saw me and the truck. \u00a0 “What do you mean, I buried your truck with one load?”\"\"Yup, that’s us, spreading the mulch in the front yard. \u00a0 Pandora’s box truck. \u00a0Master of all she can see. \"\"So there you have it, my own “upper midlife crisis” in mini-living color. \u00a0You have to admit, there are much worse ways that a guy of a “certain age” could act out. \u00a0Unfortunately, this truck hasn’t done anything to help\u00a0me look any cooler to my boys, or Brenda, who refuses to drive it or ride in it. \u00a0Oh well, at least other guys think it’s pretty neat as I do get stopped everywhere with questions. \u00a0It’s too soon to tell, and I never will admit, if it’s a “chic magnet”. \u00a0Lips sealed…<\/p>\n

So there you have it, my latest stupid move but you have to admit that it’s kinda fun. \u00a0Right? \u00a0Just don’t ask me if it was hard to get registered as I think it took 5 trips to DMV but that’s a story for another day.<\/p>\n

So, enough about “Mini Me”, Pandora’s box “monster” truck, for the moment. \u00a0 How about some photos of beautiful boats? \u00a0 This is a blog about boats after all, right?<\/p>\n

Yesterday Brenda and I made a trip up to Mystic Seaport for their annual Classic Yacht Rendezvous and show. \u00a0If you want to see beautiful yachts and acres of finely finished wood, this is the place to be with dozens of wonderful and beautifully cared for classics.<\/p>\n

In keeping with my “upper mid life crisis” how about this beauty. Gramp<\/em>? \u00a0Love the wicker chairs. \u00a0I believe that I used a photo of this boat in a post a few weeks ago when I spied her at the Wooden Boat Show. \u00a0 However, I think she’s great so her she\/he is\u00a0again. \u00a0Love the shift and throttle on the wheel.\u00a0\"\"I don’t usually like outboard powered classics but this one is stunning. \u00a0 How about a gold prop?\"\"A beautiful little steam launch.
\n\"\"How about the oh-so-appropriately named\u00a0Splinter<\/em>? \u00a0She was designed by Bruce King an launched in 1989. \u00a0The hope was that she would be the first of a class of one design race boats but alas, she was the only one built. \u00a0What a beautiful piece of work. \u00a0 I believe that she is for sale if you are interested<\/a>. \u00a0As an aside, a few years ago she was racing in the Opera House Cup<\/a> in Nantucket and her keel fell off. \u00a0It seems that someone forgot to put on proper keel bolts. \u00a0Oops!
\n\"\"Bolero<\/em> was there too. \u00a0We last saw her in Antigua in March\u00a0and wrote about her<\/a>. I also saw here in Newport last summer\u00a0and mentioned her then too<\/a>. \u00a0\u00a0It’s a small world. \u00a0This girl really gets around.
\n\"\"All the boats on display were not classics. \u00a0This one is a recent design from Sparkman and Stephens. \u00a0She’s high tech carbon fiber. \u00a0Quite a magnificent piece of work. \u00a0 I wish I had written down her name.
\n\"\"Look at her wheel. \u00a0It’s designed so you can reach the instruments without going though the spokes of the wheel. \u00a0I’ll bet that this is only the tip of the iceberg of what makes this boat unique and super pricey.\u00a0\"\"And, speaking of attention to detail, how about this beautifully polished binnacle on Bolero<\/em>.\u00a0\"\"Or, this wheel and throttle on an oh-so-civilized motor launch?\"\"For sure, the perfect place\u00a0to “pilot” your way through life.
\n\"\"Or this hatch. \u00a0A most civilized way to catch your fill of sea breezes.
\n\"\"This beautiful commuter offers the perfect spot to enjoy a G&T. \u00a0“Jeeves! Fetch me another and be quick about it. \u00a0My ice is completely melted.”
\n\"\"And, the view forward, while sipping a cool one, even with melted ice, has got to be lovely too. \"\"“Oh yeah, and please turn down that infernal pipe organ, while you’re at it.”\"\"I was struck by this wonderful ship model on exhibit. \u00a0Imagine keeping something like this around your home. \u00a0It was built as an admiralty model some 300 years ago and is accurate in every detail. \u00a0Even the interior is finished and exact to the real ship. \u00a0\"\"Each line is as it was on the\u00a0actual ship. \u00a0Amazing.\u00a0\"\"The level of detail is exquisite, even if the quality of the photo isn’t. \u00a0“Yes, we believe you Bob, the photo sucks!”\"\"Anyway, I’ll ignore that. \u00a0As I was saying, we saw some amazing yachts but perhaps the one that I am most smitten with is the Sabino<\/em>, the lovely little steamboat that makes her home at Mystic Seaport. \u00a0 She’s just been relaunched after a 2.5 year refit and she’s beautiful. \u00a0As she sat at the dock they were still working on her with the plan of having her ready for visitors in early August.\u00a0\"\"Plenty on board painting away. \u00a0\"\"We were fortunate enough to be invited aboard for a brief tour and look at the new boiler and restored steam engine by the engineer. \u00a0 I was a treat.<\/p>\n

This short video talks about the work that was done on this remarkable vessel.
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