The Mystery Boat
Published August 18, 2010 | 
Preposterous, when you think of the time that each has spent.
Words heaven sent and truly meant to show
Old, may I sit down here and learn today?
I’ll hear all you say.
I won’t go away.
– dexy’s midnight runners
So, I was driving along just west of my home town here in Wisconsin and caught the glimpse of a boat out of there corner of my eye. Kayakers know this sensation well. We can spot a small hull at midnight from 500 yards away while traveling at the speed of sound. I drove by it the first time around not wanting to let my crazy curiosity get the best of me. The second time by, I knew I had to stop.
As you can see the boat has a canvas hull. It’s trashed. You can put a finger right through it, and mice have been living inside the poor thing for some time. It seems to be a sailboat given that the hole near the front that looks like the spot where a mast should go. On the other hand, maybe that’s where you mount the flag pole! I’d bet that bit of green decking is decade or two newer than the rest of the boat given that it’s the only bit that still has some color.
Check out this reinforced bow. Yikes!
Here’s a close up of the frame on the inside.
There was no one around, but there was a phone number posted on a big sign. I really couldn’t bring myself to call, considering there was no reason I’d actually want to buy the old husk of a boat. Still, I can’t help but wonder about it. It’s not every day you see an old skin-on-frame sailboat sitting in the grass among rolling hills and farms, and nowhere near any water to speak of. We can only hope that when we get old, we fair better than this old beast!
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3 Responses to The Mystery Boat
Don’t get too excited. It’s just an old duck skiff.
What’s a “duck skiff”?
Used for duck hunting. My grandfather built a similar one but was outfitted w/oarlocks for rowing. I used it when I was a kid. Wish I still had it. It had a wood frame and covered in canvas. This one probably was paddled or poled through the marsh.