Waterfront
President George H.W. Bush will be remembered for many things. To some, his most enduring legacy will be as a boater.
President George H.W. Bush will be remembered for many things. To some, his most enduring legacy will be as a boater.
Ionce heard it said of man that the idea is to die young, as late as possible. At age 85, a favorite pastime of George H. W. Bush was firing up his boat, the Fidelity, and opening up the three 300-horsepower engines to fly, joyfully fly, across the Atlantic, with the Secret Service boats straining to keep up.” Those were the opening words of George W. Bush’s eulogy for his father.
The late president Bush was known for many things. He was a war hero, a politician, a father. But to those who work and play in the marine industry he’s perhaps best known as a boater. After his passing, Power & Motoryacht readers and industry insiders alike reached out and recounted memories of Bush from behind the helm of a boat.
Legendary powerboat racer and boatbuilder Reggie Fountain remembers Bush as a client and as a friend.
“I remember I got a call on the phone in my house. I was outside and someone came running out and said President George Bush was on the line,” Fountain recalls. “So, I go runnin’ in and sure enough it was him. He said, ‘I was at the Houston
Boat Show with the Secret Service and I saw the 31; I’d like to talk to you about that boat.’” And so he did. The two would strike a deal and a 31-foot Fountain would be the first of three craft the 41st president would purchase from him.
Fountain credits his presidential client with helping him to establish his eponymous brand of boats. “He was a great ambassador for us. He would come down to our plant and bring all kinds of dignitaries with him,” says Fountain, who explained that it didn’t take long for the two to form a casual friendship. “I remember I took him fishing. Then he invited me to come up and spend time at his place in Kennebunkport. He gave you the feeling like you were just out with one of the guys, not out with the president.”
While there’s long history of the presidents of yesteryear escaping the pressures of the office on the water (see Ships of State on page 72), Bush’s prowess behind the helm makes him wholly unique. “He was a very good boat handler,” says Fountain. “I showed him how to trim the boat and he picked it up right away. He kept improving, too.”
Longtime Mercury employee Tom Ireland also formed a waterborne friendship with Bush. “He called me once on a Friday and told me one of his engines had gone down. I had one sent out immediately and sent a mechanic out. He was so thankful to have the boat back up and running that Sunday for Father’s Day,” recalls Ireland. “I was introduced to him when he was vice president. We had a boat that ran 104 mph and he wanted to go out on the boat. He had two speeds: idle and wide open. Yes, he was very good at burning fuel. He was the best kind of person you could ask for.”
Fountain vouches for the late president’s unquenchable need for speed. “Man, would he go fast. You know he used to be a fighter pilot. He was so proper but behind the throttles you saw this wild side. He would outrun the Secret Service all the time.” The desire to go fast belied a casual, outgoing nature. “I thought to myself, If more people were like him, the world would be a better place. He was a decent guy, just a really decent guy.”
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