20
Close to the Water
THE RIGHT
BOAT
by Bruce Bateau
You probably know this type of boater; the person who has a hard time with commitment. This year they’re training in an Alden rowing shell, next year outfitting an Ericson 38 keeps them busy—until the following season, when it’s traded in for that new Cal 20 they’re now feverishly tricking out for racing. What gives? Many boaters seem to spend their whole careers looking for the ideal ride: The Best Boat Ever. On the other end of the spectrum are those fortunate mariners who buy one and stick with it for years on end, like our family did. Were we lucky enough to find the perfect boat early on? Or are we simply too undemanding? And what makes the right boat, anyway? 48º NORTH
I hadn’t thought too much about it until last weekend when, too busy to go on a satisfying sail, I figured I did have time for a quick row. “Hey, Merry,” I called to my son, “it’s a beautiful summer morning. Get your brain away from that computer and come rowing with me.” “I guess,” he said, sauntering out of the gloom of his den. We strapped Terrapin, our 15-foot Adirondack guideboat, to the roof of the car, and 20 minutes later were floating in the Willamette River, near downtown Portland. I took the rower’s position in the bow, while Merry lounged in the stern, his big hand dragging in the water.
20
OCTOBER 2020
