Yeah, Yeah the alchemy of turning a Dusky center console into a FBC…
Well it went like this: Spent two years scouring the web sites, local yards and the odd back yard. Found the Dusky in November of 2009. Owner was a contractor and all of the toys were up for sale. Nice boat, had what I was looking for- a little cuddy for storage, a porta potty and maybe a nap every now and then- after all I know I couldn’t afford a B31. It was clean-real clean- just like the owner’s truck, shop, tools, etc., good vibe. He didn’t want to sell but his asking price was fair and when I offered it he stuck to his word. Then I found out his 15 yr old son was crushed. So we made a deal, the boy gets good grades and they get to take it out fishing… Pay the man, get the hauler, have it launched, the seller puts an extra $50 in gas in it for me, can’t go better. Run it, family rides, pull it, store it, success..
Spring 2010 rolls around and after some marathon sanding, painting, polishing it’s back in and we’re fishing. Oh yeah, it was named “Beaver†complete with a vinyl picture of a beaver. Well that wasn’t in the cards for a married guy with a daughter so before it went in I polish the transom and call the painter. (Cue the foreboding music) But the painter lives on a hill top and being the spring of 2010 in RI that means his house flooded- so he’s a little behind, but he’ll get to me as soon as he can and he’s a great guy… so we launch without a name on the transom. Da Da Dummmmm.
Memorial Day we all go out for a ride and I climb down off my wallet and fill the tanks. Leave the keys for my sister’s family and get home in time for naps/snack.
Phone rings around 5:00pm. Turns out they had a great ride but the bilge blower wouldn’t shut off (vapor detector) and, yeah, there’s fuel in the bilge….
Freak out.
Haul ass to the boatyard. The launch driver was way cool, he shut down the bilge pump and thought I might be back… I pack Dawn, kitty litter and zorb towels around the offending port tank and have it pulled, towed to a friend’s shop, and then stare at it.
Turns out the joint at the top edge of the port tank was welded on a Friday or somethin. Cracked good. The floor has to be cut out to get at the tank and I can’t find a re-placement tank other than custom. We are sad.
My buddy says it’s a nice boat –other than the present bomb qualities- if I want to trade it in on one of the used boats he’s got that would be ok… Whatcha’ got? A nice Whitewater center console with a Volvo Diesel, a Bertram and some bigger stuff… Whaddya’ give me for the Dusky? … WHAT I PAID FOR IT… Chest tightens… BUY BERTRAM....
Darling- Uh, Capt. Rick says the Dusky is real bad, gonna take weeks and lotsa money to try and get it right… but he’ll take it as a trade… do you like either of these? Holding breath…. Ooh the one with the little cabin looks real nice, 1972!?! Well, I like it. Can we do that one? Uh, Sure, I think so (sweating), you’re the best…
Pay the man with the contingency that no matter how cheesey, crooked or wrong the name goes on. And we rejoice, take Dad fishing and well you know it from there….
