When my grandfather was a kid somebody stored a boat at his family's mining machinery business. Somewhere we have a comedy letter he wrote to the widow of who left the boat, and how mean it was to taunt a young boy into a lifetime of boating.

His first trip was down the Mississippi to Florida in a less than 20 foot boat with another man in the early 1930's. Somewhere is letters he wrote to my five year old mom during the trip. During the trip between New Orleans and Florida, a couple of Canadian adventurers tied up to their boat. It was gone in the morning so 4 men on a small boat the rest of the way.

Next was motor yacht "Gem" he explored waters around Chicago and Detroit. Next was large sailing yacht about 40' with no engine he kept in Annapolis, Maryland and he would take it out by himself. He would ride the train from Joplin, Missouri on an overnight sleeper to Annapolis.

He had a cabin on Grand Lake Oklahoma where he kept his 1936 Chris Craft 19' racing runabout. He eventually started summering on an island in Whitefish Bay on Lake of the woods Ontario. He used that boat there until 1975. We used to have the owners manual and cancelled check for the boat. It was purchased at Star Boat and Motor in Kansas City for $1800. A lot of money in 1936. I used to drive it when I was in my teens. It went about 40 MPH, assuredly the fastest boat on any lake he went to during the 1930s.

After moving to Biloxi Mississippi, he had a Dragon class racing sailboat made in Norway. He sailed it with my mom and dad as crew to a regatta at the Southern Yacht Club on Lake Pontchartrain. My grandmother supported by car during the trip. They won the regatta and my dad overheard men discussing the regatta outcome in the men's room. "Who won the regatta?" "Some bastard from Biloxi" When they asked my dad who he sailed with he replied: "The bastard from Biloxi" My inland racing C Scow is named: "Bastard From Biloxi" If my grandfather is watching from above, he's beaming from the success of my last two racing seasons.

During my teens I was fortunate to spend about a month a summer at his cabin on an island on Lake of the Woods. He and his second young wife were involved in every new trend that came along. He got into SCUBA diving early and would dive for sunken logs on that lake. From one retrieved log he built a dugout outrigger sailboat for his young son. I watched him sew the sail. The son was too young to test it, so I got to. Great memories of that sun splashed day with him barking instructions from his wooden Lyman outboard. The boat was a piece of art and won an award at an art show.

His involvement in boating led to many of his offspring becoming life long boaters and sailboat racers. My family has 4 generations of sailboat racers. Proud to say I'm the most prolific and successful racer in the family. Thanks Buster.

For the record, my dad was a real prick as a sailboat racer. He used to race his Snipe regionally with my mom or brother as crew. During those days, if you fouled someone, you were disqualified. Grudges and yelling were part of the game as well as attempting to cause your competition to foul out. He was 6'3" with some boxing experience, and I never remember him having to fight anyone.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: pbslinger,

Great story, thank you for sharing it. I really enjoyed walking from work on Michigan Ave, through Grant Park, and taking the water taxi to my 29' Ericson in South Gulf Cove off downtown Chicago, but taking a train from Joplin to Annapolis to go sailing is real dedication. Regrettably, the only sailboat we have currently is a CL14 (similar to a Wayfarer) that my kids have not so affectionately named The Death Trap.

trapper189- What years did you moor your Erikson in Chicago? Sounds like fun.

Loved reading this. Great stories; great memories.

1998 and 1999, right by the Shedd Aquarium and Alder Planetarium, but it seems that mooring area is long gone. I bought it in the spring of 1998. Before that, I rented J22s out of Belmont Harbor. They actually started calling me to take people sailing on the J22s and I got free rentals. I can’t tell you how many people learned “when in doubt, let it out” that summer. My only racing experience was showing up at the Columbia Yacht Club on a Wednesday a few times that summer and asking for a ride during their beer can races.

Really, having a boat right there, I mean in 15 minutes, I could be on my boat in downtown Chicago. It was a good time. I wasn’t V-Tail with an airplane, but I did OK.

pbslinger: That's a great tribute to your grandfather, father and family!
You've certainly had a lot of fun and seen a lot of beauty along the way.
Thanks for posting.

quote:

Originally posted by pbslinger:

trapper189- What years did you moor your Erikson in Chicago? Sounds like fun.

In the early 1970s, I was a one-third owner of an Erickson 32, moored at Burnham Harbor. Good times.

A great story, I was fortunate to have a father that got me into boating. In 1956, I was 12 yo, he built a 14 ft kit boat in our garage. He even laid fiberglass over the hull, amazed people. It went on from there, he boated until he died at 81. I had a boat until 2004 when I decided to move to Utah.

My dad had very small fishing boats early in my childhood. He would take us on long trips to remote lakes to trout fish. Loved those times.
That instilled a love for the water, boats and the love to fish.

Now I have have several boats and lake fish and fish and crab the Pacific ocean. The water and boat fishing is a true passion of mine. Seen and experienced many amazing things.

In the last twenty years it was my turn to take my father on fishing adventures and did. He loved every minute of them. Thanks Dad!

A most wonderful and blessed story!

Thank you for sharing!!

Our family owned a 16’ sloop rigged “Wafarer” class sailboat, and I enjoyed 100’s of countless hours of fun, some of it terrorizing of course, sailing “Beetlebaum” (named by the original owner) on the Hudson River, Lake Mahopac NY, Lake George NY, Schroon Lake NY, and Lake Hopatcong NJ, with my dad, immediate family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends!

Such WONDERFUL and GREAT memories!!

“May Fair Winds Fill Your Sails and Following Seas Treat You Kindly.”

Great story, PB. your Grandpa and I would have gotten along although perhaps not at close roundings. I campaigned a J24 for 30 years all over the midwest. Sold it in 2012 and replaced with my current boat, a Beneteau First 310. Still relatively fast but a lot more comfortable.

Another boating story about my grandfather. He went to a boarding school in Maryland called Tome. Probably when he was in his early teens, he and a classmate, R. J. Reynolds Jr, ran away from the school and stowed away on some junky sailing freighter. The sailors weren't real happy about them being aboard, and somehow they returned them to port. R. J. was a life long sailor also, but I don't think they remained in touch.

I think they were both kicked out of the school, and my grandfather returned home in shame.

R J Reynolds Jr obituary mentions that he ran away from home and worked on a freighter between New York and Hamburg.

https://www.findagrave.com/mem...hard_joshua-reynolds