My Local Boat…

(plenty of fantasies I have)

She is a 31-foot Bertram sports fisherman,

She has the lines of the designer’s eye,

An ocean boat of strength & beauty,

Power from twin turbo-charged Yanmar diesels,

She can get up to and stay at a respectable 30 knots,

But she is not made for speed, but for longevity at sea…

Her range is not that of the Rene Lyn, but 500 nautical, ain’t bad,

Out to the canyon and back at speed, with fuel to spare, not so sad,

Outriggers & all electronics, GPS, Raytheon etc times two,

Just in case, an Epirb on the raft, if in the water we go too…

She is the Rainbow Zen, my personal fishing boat; she is the very end,

I will never trade her in; will never do anything but take care of her,

Until that fateful day when the gods do trade me in and request that I send,

My old fisherman’s body into the great fishing contest in the sky,

But I will be forced to leave the Rainbow Zen here for another,

To use her to his hearts content, for she will outlast us all,

Herein I don’t pretend…  

                     © ed – 3/4/04