A lot of work had been accomplished in my days here at Goose Bay. Fix this, fix that, paint it, stow it, re-stow it. The food stores I’ve carried 4414 miles in the shower are onboard the CAP’N LEM. Now I can shower without a major movement of can goods and cereal boxed.
I’m sending the “Inflatable Parrot” into reserve duty status and bringing the good and faithful kayak to the front line. As you’ve learned by now, most everything has a name and a story to go with it. With the Gray Ghost, the stories are many!
A fellow ask me, “Tommy, why do you have seven boats?!!” I told him, “Because I sold one”. Of all the boats I have own over the years, my 17’ double seat, Kevlar reinforced, Easy Rider Bulge kayak will always remain the one “not for sale”.
The Gray Ghost was new in 1986, not a scratch on her. 24 years later she bares marks like an old sperm whale after a lifetime of diving to unbelievable depths. I was Boatswain on the Ice Breaker Polar Star and in charge of the deck cargos so it was easy to slip her aboard as stowaway for the Operation Deep Freeze ‘87 deployment to Antarctica. When the work was done and things quieted down, I could launch her over the side and paddle amongst the Elephant Seals and Penguins. On the way home, when shipmates went to bar hop, I slipped over the side to spend my time exploring the waterways of what ever port we hit. In Tasmania I spent 3 days in her, sleeping at anchor by removing ever thing and lashing it to the side. I would partially inflate an air matress to take out the bumps. To turn over required waking up, sitting up, turning then scrunching back down; not the most comfortable bed but do-able. I could even cook holding a Sterno Stove with my feet. (There is just no stopping a coffee addict from brewing a pot). I snorkeled from her in Tonga and stayed awake most of the night anchored near a place called Crocodile River in Queensland Australia thinking, ‘gee, I wonder why they named the river that?’
In our younger days, (we were both younger once) I dressed her bow with names of the exotic places I had paddled her. They have long since washed away but the letters left marks that close inspection reveals names; Palmer and McMurdo Station Antarctica, Hobart Tasmania, Tonga, Princess Louisa Sound BC, Puget Sound, Lake Washington, Acapulco Mexico, Victoria BC. It is only fitting that the Gray Ghost accompanies me on my way north.
Shipmake Kari in the Gray Ghost, Princess Louisa Inlet BC
The Gray Ghost at Chatterbox Falls
