How the Other Half Lives

I began the arduous and long-overdue chore of clearing the garage. I keep hoping for a slight rise in temperature to keep working, but it just isn't going to happen. We had a high in the single digits today; the irony in that sentence is not lost on me. So, I pulled the power tools, hand tools, and paint from the garage to thaw in the basement shop. I also dragged out the centerboard and the bits and pieces that will serve as winter projects. I also have the Macgregor tiller and rudder I plan to rebuild but that's a whole 'nother level of effort I'm just not prepared to deal with right now. And when I can't deal with stuff, I get on a plane and go somewhere else.

That somewhere turned out to be Las Vegas for a couple days last week. By my count, I've been to Vegas 14 times, 12 times for work, so the idea of going yet again was about as palatable as going to prison for the 14th time. Not that I've been there one time, but you know what I mean. As soon as the conference wrapped and my boss was safely tucked away in the airport on the way to her long weekend on the east coast, I fired up the rental car and headed for Lake Havasu, about 2.5 hours away. But before I left, I ran a quick inventory of who I could contact in Havasu.

That list was unfortunately very slim, but there was one person I've actually wanted to meet for awhile: Sean Mulligan, he of the Lake Havasu Pocket Cruiser Convention. I wrote him a quick email that basically said, "Hi, you don't know me, but I like boats and you like boats and I'll be there in 2 hours. Give me a call." An hour later, while I was somewhere in the middle of Arizona, Sean did, indeed, call. We decided to meet just across from London Bridge (yes, that one) where he said he'd take me around town for a few minutes.

After a tour of the marina, we stopped by his house to see if his wife wanted to head out with us. She politely declined after a long day at work, so we headed back to the water to view the parade of ships. This is an annual event where boats deck themselves out with Christmas lights and sail under London Bridge in the channel. The stores lining the channel alight themselves, too, and a good time will be had by all. I couldn't believe my luck!

But we didn't get very far, because in the garage was a Paradox. Sean purchased Scout from a woman who did a fine job with the boat, and Sean was putting the boat through her paces, running up and down Lake Havasu in various lengths of seamanship marathoning. It was really, really neat to see Scout up close and learn from Sean. Who, by the way, was an awesome sport for taking a stranger under his wing for a couple hours. I hope he doesn't mind me taking and sharing photos here.

Anyone who has had a even a cursory review of this blog will note my obsession with electronics. Seeing how Sean/Scout managed the wiring was great. I really like the Shakespeare mounted forward on the mast, up high where it belongs, but the key is how the VHF cable runs inside the mast and out the bottom into a thru hull. This is similar to what Garage Sail did with his mast treatment, running the owl light wires inside the mast and out the base. Also brilliant is a small anemometer refigured from a bicycle speedometer. A mastlight completes the accessories on Scout. Note the really cool brass fitting that houses the running rigging. While I can't bring myself to add ~5lbs that high, I do appreciate the look and feel of it.

Shakespeare VHF runs forward and through the mast.

Top of the mast. Lots going on here but still light and elegant.

Bottom part of mast ending in the fittings.

Interior of the Paradox. I wouldn't call it roomy, but it has everything needed, including a propane stove.

View from the bow. It looks like a mini-submarine with an enclosed cockpit.

We spent about an hour poking around the boat and talking about what's next, and yet I'm not sure I can quite describe it. Imagine a submarine that sits on top of the water. I say submarine because the cockpit is enclosed, and in fact can be a full canopy if the companionway is pulled all the way back. This allows riding the roughest seas; indeed, these boats have sailed down the eastern seaboard, across the Gulf Stream, and into the Bahamas. This boat isn't quite 14' LOA with a 4.5' beam. A roller furling main allows instant reefing and the water ballast, plus a low center of gravity for the pilot, means self-righting. It'll find an angle and stick there. All our chatting ignored the astounding Montgomery 23 in the driveway, Dauntless. There are only a couple dozen of these in the world, and few as prized as this one. Visiting that one will have to wait until 2015 when the Pocket Cruiser convention returns.

With time running short, since I had to get back to Vegas for my flight home, we finally got to London Bridge and watched the boats go by. Sean knew just about everyone on these boats. Part of him wished he was out there, most of him was glad he was on land.

Thanks, Sean, for your hospitality, generosity, and all around good humor!