Shortly after we bought our first cottage in the 1977, I bought a used red boat. It had a 65 horsepower Mercury outboard engine and it could pull a skier. It seemed perfect for the lake that we were on and in retrospect it was a good “learning experience” about boats.
That little red boat was a piece of sh–. The previous owner must have hit the motor on a sandbar or something because the back motor mounting transom had been rebuilt. That transom eventually began to crack and we did some temporary fiberglass reinforcements and repairs.
Then one day in the early 1980, I got a call at work. Grasshopper No.3 had talked your Mom into looking at a new “gold flecked” gorgeous Glasstron speedboat at the local boat dealership. It was on sale and was last years model. The question was “would I come and look at it”? Talk about a set up.
We bought that boat. The used red “starter boat” was traded in. The 65 hp Mercury engine was mounted on the new boat. It turned out to be a perfect match including the jet black color. The local credit union loved my business.
That new glastron boat with it’s stunning gold color with glittering glass flecks was the class of the lake. It was kind of “look at me, look at me”.
Grasshopper No.3 spent a summer or two crusing around the lake probably doing things I don’t even want to know about. People that frequented the lake remember Grasshopper No.3 and the gold glastron.
Recently Grasshopper No.4 met a family that spent several weeks each year at our lake. One conversation led to another and suddenly they were talking about the stunning gold boat and Grasshopper No.3. There was some mention about how fast the boat went but that was a myth. It went fast but others were faster. None of the boats were prettier.
I’m not sure why I let your Mom and No.3 talk me into a new boat. Maybe deep down, it is what I really wanted.
The story of the young boy and the beatiful golden boat would make a great children’s story. Hey, maybe I was “the child at heart” living out my own fantasy.
Love,
Dad