[m i a o w] the cat

Now I can divulge our secret plan. M and I have been planning to surprise my dad with a present for the past year to say thank-you for the various loans he’s thrown our way; before, during and at the end of our Hervey Bay adventure. My dad is a river junkie - he likes exploring the Murray and also Westernport Bay. He’s been dabbling with the idea of getting a trailer-sailer for the last 18 months or so. Every now and again he would email M a link to a boat he was interested in, and M, at my urging, would gently steer him away from it. We, selfishly, wanted to be the ones to get him a trailer-sailer. So, three days after we’d got back to Melbourne, we found the perfect boat in the Trading-Post.

Of course, looking good in the Trading-Post is one thing, being good in real life is another. We went to visit it last Saturday. It was better in real life. It was perfect. A Dennis TS500 - it had only ever had two owners. It came with new ropes and a 5HP Tohatsu. We knocked the price down a little bit and grabbed it. M has spent the last few days tweaking it to his exacto standards, and fixing up a few things here and there.

My dad’s name is Ray. I have had the name of the boat decided for months and months. It was to be called Hoo-Ray! It is an excellent vessel, and I am typing this post from the loungeroom in South Gippsland, having handed over Hoo-Ray! to her rightful owner (who is already plannning an enormous river trip). M was going to do the lettering of the name himself, but it turned out to be a very difficult task - we were saved by a woman called Susan, who printed it our on to sticky vinyl lettering in the font that I had wanted. It’s PERFECT. Pawfic.

BROWSE / IN TIMELINE
« I Hate My Motorola
» Hoo-Ray! Pictures!

BROWSE / IN Musings
« Settling In
» I am not a bunny.

COMMENTS / 3 COMMENTS

But Beth, you most importantly neglect to tell us what font ‘hoo-ray’ is in & do not provide an example (or better, a photo) for our enjoyment & artistic criticism…And what of Ray’s reaction - did he cry tears of joy, give you both a hug & fall trembling to his knees? or just jump in the air oh-what-a-feeling-style & then rush off & get his Gilligans Island hat (the floppy orange one). As an ardent fan of all things Ray (even tho’ I have never met the man) i need to know MORE!!!

ian typed this on Jul 18 05 at 8:53 am

Alright! Alright!! Photos are up! Your friend Ray was surprisingly gracious about the whole thing, and only said we were ‘dopey’ about five times. He and M then consumed vast amounts of red wine and whiskey and passed out.

b:p typed this on Jul 18 05 at 11:21 am