www.iFourWinns.com

SFORightSeat, on 03 Sept 2013 - 19:05, said:

I apologize for taking so long on this but I have some real news. I would have posted this much sooner but my work laptop won't let me access the SA domain (go figure) and I'm just now back home to be able to register and post.

First some background: my buddy Rick and I have been following the saga of the FH since back when it was under construction. We had even given serious thought to coming over to see her splashed but we were outwitted by the Hot Rod and his late night launch efforts. So I kept reading on here (and Wooden Boat) for a while, but started paying less attention as things got crazier. I travel for work every few weeks, and keeping up with the frequency/insanity of the posts when I got home got to be too much and I fell behind on the saga.

Anyway imagine my surprise when I got a call a couple weeks ago from Rick, who lives in Sausalito, saying "guess who I'm watching from my bedroom window?" He keeps a powerboat at Richardson Bay so we decided we should go out and give the FH and crew a little housewarming. Before anyone says anything about how stupid that was because of an assumption over how unhinged the crew might be I should say that Rick is a retired military pilot with many, many carrier landings logged and is pretty much unfazed by anything so I didn't think twice about going out there with him. On my way to the marina I picked up two six packs (one of Bass and one of Bud Light to cover all the bases) as a peace offering then Rick and I headed out.

When we got there, the "Pilot" and Michael were on the back porch and they waved us in pointing for us to come to the left (port?) hull. Pilot took our line and secured us (with a bowline even!) to the 2x4 toerail. He was late 30s/early 40s, looked like he was related to Michael, and immediately took a Bud Light as he introduced himself as Dan. Michael introduced himself as Mike and declined a beer. Rick said "you sure?" and he hook his head no. The most notable thing about him (aside from passing on a beer and how soft spoken he was) was that he looked EXHAUSTED. He looked as tired as a guy could be, the sort of look you get when you haven't slept for a couple days. Totally, totally beat. We weren't invited inside (below?) so I don't know if anyone else was aboard, but it didn't feel like there was. We hung out on the porch and had our beers while Dan did most of the talking. There were frequent references to someone named "Jimmy", like "when Jimmy gets back they'll do this, when Jimmy is back they'll do that" and I can only assume he was talking about the Hot Rod. We never asked where Jimmy was and they never offered. The one time Mike spoke up was when we asked about their plans for the winter. He laughed and said something like: "find someplace calm and stay there!"

A couple observations about the FH: Kon Tiki it's not. The thing feels SOLID when you're aboard, and it moves in the waves as one hulking mass. That's not so comforting though because it makes an insane noise with bigger waves, a squeal from hell like that sound a framing nail makes when you pull it out of a board with a hammer claw. It was awful and never ending but Mike and Dan seemed to not notice it. Someone in an earlier post mentioned hearing a motor aboard like a genset, we heard that too. Rick wondered if it was maybe a pump, but I'm sure it was a generator forward in the right hull. Motorcycle was not anywhere to be seen and we didn't ask about it. I thought the porch would be springy under our feet, but it wasn't at all. I never went forward but Rick did and he said the "trampoline" area felt just as solid. The most alarming thing I saw (that wasn't the 2x4 toerail) was damage to the hull outboard of the steps where we boarded about 6 inches above the waterline. A crack along the edge that looked like it had been repaired once had opened up and you could see splinters inside of the outer ply laminate stuck to the glass.

Now for the best part. Rick asked Mike what he thought of everything going on here in the SA thread and was met with…a totally blank stare. We explained a little and he said "you mean the Wooden Boat thing?" We told him about it and he laughed and said he never got into "web stuff" on the boat because it used up his data. I asked if his dad might have been posting and Mike made a face like I'd just asked the most ridiculous question ever. He seriously had no idea about this thread (or SA, for that matter) but said he would check it out the next time he got to the library when he was ashore. Rick wrote down the SA web address for him and told him "they call you Red Viking on there" Mike shook his head and looked baffled.

Mike seemed preoccupied (and dead tired, as I'd said above) so we started to say goodbye to get out of his hair. Dan asked if we could give him (and his gas can) and lift back to shore which we were happy to do. When we were far enough away Dan (on his third beer) said "Jimmy is a man who knows how to get in over his head" which gave us all a good laugh. But he did add that he seemed sure that Mike had enough common sense to not let them do anything too stupid.

Dan lit up a smoke the moment we were on solid ground. The biggest excitement of the day came when he bent down and vented the gas can with his lit cigarette in his mouth.