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by Rosemary Lee Potter
Special to Tropical Breeze
When you first read this title, you might
think we are this time into the collecting habits and acquisitions
of shipping magnates, those who own and command vast fleets of
vessels. Not so, here we are discussing the fact that there are
many collectors -- fascinated by ships, ship trips, the whole idea
of the sea -- who collect almost anything marine, well, nautical,
that floats and can take you some place via water.
If the last statement holds water, the
boat collectors might have an assortment of cruise souvenirs,
tickets, on board dining room menus or ship photos. They might well
have photos of themselves on board or commanding some vessel. Their
shelves might be filled with antique ship clocks (or replicas),
models of boats which they've constructed or purchased. They may
even have small scale remote boats which they take down to pond or
seashore either to sail or power run.
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A collection of nautical photos of vessels with connectionsto the author: top left: “Grande Mariner,” Lake Michigan, 2006; below (l-r): sailing ships, Miami’s Biscayne Bay, 1924; Canada’s Bob-Lo Boat, SS Ste. Claire, Detroit, 1969; Norwegian Dynasty, Alaska, 2001.
Tropical Breeze photo by Rosemary Potter
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What of the others though, those
collectors who seem to be cleverly developing their own diverse
fleet of actual boats to sail, power, play with, travel in, on
which to spend much money and time? The more I ask about of those
who I meet at kayak beaches on river/shore, I find there is great
fun and diversity, even adventure, collecting boats.
My own collection goes back a few years. I
owned with my then pre-teen sons a marvelous old john boat without
any motor. We kept it in the sideyard; such storage well
representing the misnamed "Get Aweigh" in that we only used the
boat on the sides of very busy lives. When we did use it, we (or
just the boys) would row it across the very small "lake" on which
we lived. There were only eight homes on the lake. The little,
shallow-draft craft never was trailered. After a few years we sold
it and the new owner carried it "aweigh" stashed in the back of his
pick-up.
After that we owned an assortment of
blow-up rafts. I also shared a Klepper double kayak with a friend.
We paddled around the whole Tampa Bay shore. That too went away
with time. However my interest in boats, cruising and living in and
on water with them continues to this day. There's a wall and
numerous shelves with those souvenirs and photos of ships on which
I've cruised both U.S. and foreign waters. I can drive this kayak
to the beach with a topside car-rack OR -- more fun, just attach a
little wheelie designed for strapping to the stern and walk the
craft down my one street to the beach front and paddle off!
Here's a tally of the current collected
fleet: There's the bright red fiberglass kayak with very good and
expensive bright red paddle. It's so far a no-name boat. Then
there's the "Edelweiss," a 21-foot 1972 Starcraft Chieftain cabin
cruiser and trailer which my husband and I bought at great discount
from a small side-of-the-road Tennessee used car dealership for
$2,000. Refurbished and now with a Bimini top, we take it for day
cruises on TVA lakes and out in the Gulf off Florida. We intend of
course to cruise in it from Tennessee to the Mississippi -- which
is quite a real possibility. (Hint: check out Tellico Lake in
Tennessee online.)
A collection with only 2 boats? Naw. We
pick up steam, or rather momentum now. For years I've rented jet
skis and enjoyed the use of personal water craft, here and in
Mexico. I was riding wave-runner vessels long before they were
extremely popular in the U.S. Never thought to own one -- that is
until I recently saw advertised in the paper a 1996 Sea Doo
double-seater, you know the pink/aqua/purple look -- however with
no rear rooster tail of water. I was able to buy it at a very good
price from an owner who not only had taken good care of it, but who
had installed on it his patented Cobra jet steering device. If you
don't know, it is impossible to steer a jet ski whose power has
failed. This has led to many tragic accidents, especially by
novices and untrained operators. The new device allows steering
even after power is off!
So now I am at vessel three in the boat
collection, this one with a trailer, as with the tag, registration
numbers, etc., this one now with upkeep in play such as how to mix
the fuel, how to flush it on return to shore, how to avoid sucking
sand and weeds into it... all the stuff boat owners, fleets or not,
need to know.
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Rosemary Potter casting off for a “twilight Sea Doo -cruise,” near Crystal Beach.
photo for Tropical Breeze by Libby Burke
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The Sea Doo is named "Bear's Bucket"
after our redbone coonhound who swims well and wears an approved
dog life jacket when on the water.
So now what about a party boat? That's
what pontoon boats are often called as they can slowly chug
smoothly along with happy sight-seeing diners aboard. It happens
that a long-time friend is considering selling his pontoon boat,
which he keeps at his cabin on a Florida river. A tree has fallen
on the Bimini top, he tells me, but the big motor is in great shape
and the vessel functional.
So very soon we'll drive up to the river
and check out the pontoon vessel. There we'll decide if I'll be
expanding our fleet once again -- this time to four craft.
Meanwhile we're glad we took the "Boat
Smart" and "Chart Smart" courses from the Clearwater US Sail and
Power Squadron. We had the interest and ability to operate a fleet
-- but review of particulars of everything from the Rules of the
Water Road to how to board a boat and navigate safely was a
must.
For boat collectors who plan to cast off
and drive their vessels on any waterway, take a safety and
regulation-teaching course called "Boat Smart," from the Clearwater
US Power Squadron. Call and leave your name and phone number at
727-441-8775 to find out about the course.
For folks who really like boating, but
just care to do it occasionally, not "collect" vessels, anchors,
paraphernalia such as life jackets and oars, it's still suggested
they collect their wits and wisely take a boating safety course.
Even if someone else is at the helm of the boat you're in, it
still helps to know how to avoid accidents and what to do in the
case of an emergency afloat.
Boat collecting is fun, but not as simple
as it seems. However, few collecting adventures are ever really
simple once you're on board.
© 2008 Rosemary Lee Potter. All
Rights Reserved.
Rosemary Lee Potter is a confirmed victim
of the collecting bug and can be reached by e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or write to her in care of Tropical Breeze,
P.O. Box 585, Safety Harbor, FL 34695.
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