A Senior’s Observations, Opinions and Rantings
Senior Moments
Recently, I accepted some freelance work that required my presence at one of Atlantic City’s marinas for nearly a month. I must say, the experience was enlightening because I met a variety of interesting people, some of whom could have come straight from the movie industry’s Central Casting.
Some lived on boats that would have made tiny houses look palatial. The sleeping quarters I was going to use were not much larger than the space inside an MRI machine.
The boaters ranged from the old and bedraggled, drinking and dancing to music provided by a live band, to well-heeled Ralph Lauren model look-alikes. I found the boating community to be very welcoming, especially when people learned I was photographing boats for a yacht sales company.
Of course, there is always one.
While I was walking along a dock, a man approached and challenged me about what I was doing there, demanding to know who I was. In response, I asked who he thought he was and told him I had no obligation to answer his question.
While he stuttered and stammered, apparently shocked that I had the temerity to answer him, I beat a hasty retreat. I was not looking to escalate matters any further.
I took special interest in the ingenuity boaters showed when naming their vessels and wondered how the practice became commonplace.
Practicality is one reason. A name provides a way to identify a vessel for communication and registration. But I prefer the explanation rooted in ancient maritime folklore: the belief that an appropriately named vessel would protect its crew from danger and misfortune at sea.
It was a sort of offering to the gods of the sea, whether Neptune or Poseidon. I doubt many of the names I encountered would do much to protect their crews, but I still found them amusing.
As the title of this column states, “She Got the House” was a favorite.
Several others also had a financial focus, including Alimony, Kid’s Inheritance, Knot Working and 401K.
Then there were Sole Custody and Joint Custody, docked next to each other. I later learned they were owned by the same person. I guess they worked things out.
Other boats had names with a more musical slant, familiar to fellow baby boomers: Here Comes the Sun, Just Another Day in Paradise, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Rock the Boat, Summer Wind, Rock Me Gently and Easy Like Sunday Morning.
Other favorites stood out for their creativity: Anchor Management, DIJABRINGABEERALONG, Now Who’s the Loser Dad, Never Too Late, Partners in Crime, Shaken Knot Stirred, Nauti Buoys and Key of Sea. The last one was obviously owned by a musician, with musical notes displayed on the stern.
Joy Sea, an apparent nod to the Garden State, along with Reel Estate and Saline Solution, nearly rounded out the names that caught my attention.
Then, while I was caught up in my duties, one name caused me to pause and laugh at myself. Right there on the stern of a boat facing me was the name its owner had chosen.
Perhaps it was a reminder to himself or a message to whoever needed to read it:
PATIENCE.
Charles Eberson has been in the newspaper business for over 25 years. He has worked as a writer, advertising executive, circulation manager and photographer. His photography can be viewed at charles-eberson.fineartamerica.com
