Twilight beatniks
Nothing conveys the sense of independence, freedom and at-peace-with-the-world quite as emphatically as messing about in your own boat. This sentiment is colourfully illustrated in Jon Tucker’s story about the group of like-minded seniors messing about in a fleet of clinker boats in the Pelorus Sound. Men and women with a passion for their vintage vessels, enjoying a heady cocktail of tradition, friendship, scenic splendour and, of course, a little beer and wine to lubricate it all. People using boats to embrace their twilight years with enthusiasm – and celebrating it in unique style. Reading it filled me with admiration – and more than a little pang of envy. In my distant past I often participated in ‘breakfast runs’. Part of a leatherclad bikie clan, leaving at the crack of dawn, riding en masse for the sake of it, stopping to warm up with a hearty breakfast. A similar kind of ‘bonding’ notion. But the clinker beatniks sound like much more fun and with it, I’d wager, they probably offer a much more interesting range of conversation. At the other end of the spectrum is the 35th America’s Cup which, by the time you read this, will be in full swing. The high-speed, ultra-complex foiling cats are the complete antithesis of ‘messing about in boats’. And they cost a wee bit more than a clinker boat. Time will tell whether the Emirates Team New Zealand’s investment in power has been an inspired strategy. It certainly looks good on paper. I won’t tempt Fate by venturing a prediction, but I have begun wearing my lucky tartan underwear – just in case.
Happy boating.