Chapter 61

Drudge ... Drudge ... Drudge...

I forgot how repetitious cabinets can be. Gee ... was it only a year ago I was building them at Gold Coast? At least I had fun teaching the stations building the Farr’s.

Not all my help stayed. I ended up with half... 13 employees ... with 13 wives and 26 children. I sunk a ton of money into the first year ... and then I sold the first boat... 14k ... for boat and trailer.

The breakthrough came at a University of Michigan Law School Alumni Reunion. During the opening ceremony and dinner and cash bar, a Chicago Attorney happened to mention that his son wanted a fairly fast sailboat to race singlehanded ... My down state lawyer, Charles Austin, was a U of M alumnus attending the same convention ... party ... brawl.

“One of my clients is building Farr 3.7 race dinghies,” he said.

“What’s a three point seven?” asked Mr Chicago.

“Twelve feet three inch streak of lightning,” replied Charles.

“They any good?” asked the Chicago lawyer.

A third attorney butted in, “Yeah. I bought one in New Zealand and had it shipped here. They’re pretty fast. 20 knots... 23 miles an hour ... in a decent breeze.”

“You race?” Both of them.

“Since I was a kid. Optimist, Star, Lightning ... moved up to crew on keelboats ... had fun ... got laid a lot. Great times,” he said. “Missed it. Vacation in New Zealand ... saw a Farr 3.7 race. Bought one.”

“What about it?”

“There’s six or seven hundred of ‘em around the North Island ... race every weekend. Kids as young as 10 all the way up to a 73 year old man ... he wins a lot. Talked to him after the race. Maybe 6 years ago, a girl built his boat ... well ... she built it for her ... and he bought it off her. She had a regular production line going in Auckland. Built cabinets during the day and 3.7’s at night and weekends.”

“You wouldn’t happen to remember her name?” Charles asked.

“Yeah ... Flintkote ... strange first name...” he pondered a bit.

“Surprise,” Charles said.

“That’s it ... Surprise Me Flintkote. Great little builder. Pretty girl.” He reminisced a minute. “You know her?”

“She’s building boats and cabinets in the Princessapality. Pentwater, actually.”

“She is? Upstate? Got a phone number?” Extreme interest.

“Whoa ... whoa ... whoa...” Charlie glared.

“Oh, nothing like that. My kids took my boat. They fight over who races. I was gonna buy two more ... stops the argument, and I get to race too. You suppose...”