Best Contract

“Hey, how’s it goin? You wanna buy a boat together?”

We were just about to finish college. One more year. New daughter, Ingrid. Second year managing the Moorings restaurant for good friends and mentors Les and Betty King. Another of those ventures I’d gotten us into, having had not a clue of the restaurant game. This year we were on our own. Sink or swim. No salary like the previous learning season. Nervous not an apt description.

So what does one do in circumstances such as this. Tuition at U.of Me., $1750. We owned our roof in Wadleigh’s Trailer Park. $20/month, courtesy of the GI Bill. Let’s get into the boat rental business as well! Sounded good. Jim Willis, owner of the Boathouse on the Shore Road had quit daily rentals, had a few of his fleet for sale. We knew how to sail. Been out a few times on a sailfish. Wind blows a certain way, place sails accordingly. I’d been on the lake with outboards since I was old enough to start the old Sears, air-cooled one and a half hp. single cylinder. What more was necessary. Simpler times. No complications. No political correctivity.

Started putting together a small collection of craft. Sailboat here, power boat there, canoe, rowboats. Ran a few moorings with lines off the beach in front of the hotel. Bank was good to us with some credit. Buy a Rhodes 19 sailboat at the time for $1500. Those were next year. This was sinkers and “Bail Daily” if not twice daily. We found stuff virtually abandoned in sheds, for sale on front lawns. If it floated, fair game.

Then came the prize. Pride of the fleet. Jim Willis mentioned a Marscot 22’ power launch he’d been storing for some time. Fiberglas, with an ancient 4-cylinder Greymarine engine nestled under a peeling engine box amidship. Had the old stick shift on the floor for manual transmission with notched brass throttle on steering wheel. Needed rugged left arm and quick wits to dock the old girl whose name aptly enough “Gamine” means “orphan” in some other language.

We wanted her. Not sure reasoning held sway as high as “we just wanted her.” Pictured ourselves during the odd spare time taking an afternoon cruise up the sound if she happened to be on the mooring. Only glitch was money. Figured the $1700 asking price would do the budget major damage. Perhaps a partner in the venture. Perhaps my good friend Dennis Ellis would have some interest. We could write up a contract. Share the proceeds and perhaps the work of getting her ready for next season, having found this treasure too late in the present.

Den agreed. Had his father Ralph, wood boatbuilder of Bunker and Ellis fame to look her over and we sealed the deal, fall of 1969, with a real Lawyer typed contract.

Next summer, fresh paint, re-furbished cushions, the orphan looked great. Engine finally started with new battery and flushed fuel tank, then new filter, then “Willie Ward’s” mechanical magic. Her expense sheet, summer’s end, showed a gross of $620 with expenses totaling $321 including two taxi trips to rescue stranded customers, total $7.00. Included as well, more “Willie’s Bills” of $47.05 to finally realize the Greymarine had a bad cylinder. I sat on Gamine that morning watching Willie work his magic, wires sparking, plugs in and out, gas drizzled into individual cylinders. Shame I didn’t have a today’s camcorder for YouTube transmission.

“Well Den old son, what do you think? Jarvis Newman’s got an almost new 6 cylinder slant-six Chrysler he’ll give us for a mere $750 with controls.” Den, now pushing pills for a living at an Ellsworth drug store, said, “why not”. Course by now we’d used her some for ourselves, few raft-up parties at night, become one of the family.

Next season Gamine was sporting a new-ish engine (some smooth), new stained and varnished engine box courtesy of Father Ralph, new cushions, new-ish controls, and a great rental calender. Course most of the profit was used to make her new again but that was okay, she went on for the next few years to more than pay for herself. Rented often for a month or so, some years for entire season till we finally sold her for more than twice what we paid.

There’s an old adage that floats through clouds of time well worth remembering of never go into business with family or friends. Truism. This contract with Den was a contradiction, perhaps an anomaly. It worked. Went on to do another quite successfully with joint building of the “Ellis 28.” We’re best of friends today. Beat each other up, laugh a lot. Wouldn’t have a second’s hesitation to do it all again.

• R E C I P E •

By the time this edition hits the stands, hunting season in Maine will be in full swing. I’m hoping this year to substitute “drip on the end of nose” duck hunting for “forest chickens” but for those of you who nail a few this fall here’s a good recipe when those 8' snowdrifts bank the dooryard and memories of that favorite of all seasons are all that’s available.

Partridge Stew

1 partridge, cleaned and skinned

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 small veal knuckle or pork bone

qtr. head of cabbage, finely chopped

1 med. onion, cut up salt and pepper

Bouquet Garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaves in a small cheesecloth bag)

4 large carrots, finely chopped

Pinch each parsley, chervil and fines herbs

Gently boil partridge with veal knuckle, onion, and bouquet garni in enough water to cover for approx. 45 minutes. Pour off broth into another pot and carve meat from partridge into small pieces, removing all bones. Put the meat back into broth, add carrots, celery and cabbage. Cook slowly for 15 to 20 min until vegetables are done. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, parsley, chervil and fines herbs. Let stand 5 min. before serving. (from COOKING FISH and GAME, Francine Dufresne).

Fair Winds and Good Roads
– Lee Wilbur