Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Gondola Obsession Syndrome

Lately I've been finishing out a gondola for my Lake Las Vegas operation.
She's one of the big motorized tour-boat type gondolas.
Yes, the ones that some of you purists look down on.
And sure, I respect everyone's opinions, but the winds out on Lake Las Vegas regularly top 40 knots, so motors are a must out there.
I've rowed there, and while it is "doable", once the temp hits 120 Fahrenheit, I really can't justify asking an employee to do the same.

For many years I've had this hull in storage - it was part of a mould purchase, and I planned to "one day" finish it out.

We got tired of paying for storage, knowing that the boat could be generating an income, so a new Spring project was launched.

It was a little slow at first - most of the vendor-related work was done.
Then it was time for me to get off my butt and get crackin'.

I've spent the better part of the last two weeks finishing this boat out.
Many of you know what it's like:
the boat is your only focus,
the boat is your mistress,
the boat is your obsession,
the boat is everything to you.
You consider buying presents for the boat.

You eat, sleep, breath, walk and talk about this project which has become your number-one priority.
Your wife gets jealous,
Your kids wonder where their father has disappeared to,
You're going through batteries in your cordless tools as fast as you can charge them.
The staff at West Marine, Ace Hardware, and a few other local negozios know you by name.
And at some point...you begin to wonder...what the heck you'll do with your time when the boat gets launched.

Tomorrow she does her sea-trial, and crosses the desert on Thursday morning to her new home.
Then...I think I'll take a nap.

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