DaleH
FOUNDER of Classic Parker Forum
My friends,
I write this with a heavy heart indeed, for my Father passed away.
That is why my Classic Parker private message (PM) in-box is chock full and I’ve been neglecting getting back to CP’rs who have emailed me, PM’d me with questions, or have sent orders for burgees, or decals, et al. No tears or sympathies are needed … for he had a great life, and I was truly lucky to have him with us for so long.
Rather, I want this post to be a celebration of life. Early on he taught me what the ‘painter’ was (a bow line to a dinghy or small skiff) and the ‘bitter’ end (free-standing portion) of the ‘line’ (a piece cut for a specific use from a hank of rope). He’d buy an older boat that needed a loving owner and he’d go at it with his 4 boys (no sisters); adding new planks, replacing the stuffing box, putting in ‘sister ribs’, or tightening up the fastening … whatever was needed to make his boat safe and seaworthy. He’s also throw the 4 of us under the hull, when it was stored on a wooden cradle, to paint the bottom. I think we had barely 8” to squeeze in between the wood cradle and the bottom … and we couldn’t come out for lunch until our assigned sector of the hull was completely painted!
His boats were always aptly named the ’Four Buoys’ and I have many pictures of the 4 of us sitting across the ‘poopdeck’ (stern washboard on a downeast boat) as we grew up threw the years from young pups we started out as, to hopefully the sane, honest, and sound men who are worthy of being 'his' sons. And he sure ingrained boating in all 4 of us, as I think between us we have 16 or more boats, skiffs, and dingies and at least 12 'hungry' OBs to feed.
He taught us the love of “Messin’ about in Boats”, how to use our hands, and (hopefully) how to use our heads
! He used to say that quip about how ‘God doesn’t deduct from one’s lifespan the time spent fooling around on boats. Well, that must be true, for he made it to 90-years old and was incredibly active until he suffered a bad fall last August that ultimately precipitated his demise.
For years I have tried to prepare myself to lose my Dad … but nothing on this earth could ever prepare me to lose my best friend. He'll always be with me on those long runs offshore into the rising sun or those wistful runs 'home' as the waning sun fades into the red sky that dominates the horizon.
Stay close to you and yours. Yours in Classic Parker,
Dale
I write this with a heavy heart indeed, for my Father passed away.
That is why my Classic Parker private message (PM) in-box is chock full and I’ve been neglecting getting back to CP’rs who have emailed me, PM’d me with questions, or have sent orders for burgees, or decals, et al. No tears or sympathies are needed … for he had a great life, and I was truly lucky to have him with us for so long.
Rather, I want this post to be a celebration of life. Early on he taught me what the ‘painter’ was (a bow line to a dinghy or small skiff) and the ‘bitter’ end (free-standing portion) of the ‘line’ (a piece cut for a specific use from a hank of rope). He’d buy an older boat that needed a loving owner and he’d go at it with his 4 boys (no sisters); adding new planks, replacing the stuffing box, putting in ‘sister ribs’, or tightening up the fastening … whatever was needed to make his boat safe and seaworthy. He’s also throw the 4 of us under the hull, when it was stored on a wooden cradle, to paint the bottom. I think we had barely 8” to squeeze in between the wood cradle and the bottom … and we couldn’t come out for lunch until our assigned sector of the hull was completely painted!
His boats were always aptly named the ’Four Buoys’ and I have many pictures of the 4 of us sitting across the ‘poopdeck’ (stern washboard on a downeast boat) as we grew up threw the years from young pups we started out as, to hopefully the sane, honest, and sound men who are worthy of being 'his' sons. And he sure ingrained boating in all 4 of us, as I think between us we have 16 or more boats, skiffs, and dingies and at least 12 'hungry' OBs to feed.
He taught us the love of “Messin’ about in Boats”, how to use our hands, and (hopefully) how to use our heads
! He used to say that quip about how ‘God doesn’t deduct from one’s lifespan the time spent fooling around on boats. Well, that must be true, for he made it to 90-years old and was incredibly active until he suffered a bad fall last August that ultimately precipitated his demise.For years I have tried to prepare myself to lose my Dad … but nothing on this earth could ever prepare me to lose my best friend. He'll always be with me on those long runs offshore into the rising sun or those wistful runs 'home' as the waning sun fades into the red sky that dominates the horizon.
Stay close to you and yours. Yours in Classic Parker,
Dale
