Last week we had the joy of selling the B*tch off to her new home. If you recall, she earned her name because she didn’t always want to run or keep water out. On Friday, Kraken Sailing delivered our new 10’9″ Aluminum hull Inmar dinghy with a new 15hp Tohatsu fuel injected outboard. She is already proving to have a different temperament and personality which is befitting of a different name, rather than B*tch-ll.
We have decided to call her “Lady.” In keeping with tradition, the new dinghy should have a female name. She, at this point, is also the opposite of the B*tch in so many ways. She is able to easily start on the 1-3 pull, sit at an idle without sounding terrible then dying, and float on top of the water rather than just plowing through. She is also quite solid and not taking on water which keeps us and our possessions nice and dry. Another reason for the name is to keep with the theme of The Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones. “Lady” is the name of Nymeria’s sister Direwolf who was killed in her stead. So thus all the reasons for the name “Lady.”
Currently, we are using Lady to toodle around the Clear Lake area. There are plenty of canals and waterways to explore as well as restaurants and bars to meet friends and have a meal, honoring social distancing protocols of course. It is also fun to take the dingy out to watch the festivities put on by the Kemah Boardwalk. They have boat parades for Marti Gras and Christmas and typically have fireworks for the summer months and the 4th of July. It used to be a 40 minute dingy ride or a 30 minute car ride to get to the other side of the lake and now it only takes 15 minutes and it’s way more fun.
In the future, once out of the comfort of the marina, we can use it as a car to transport us, gear and provisions to and from boat and land. This is especially useful when the big boat is anchored out, using a mooring or when areas are too shallow for Nymeria to safely enter. Lady has an aluminum hull instead of our previous inflatable hull which is preferred when dealing with rocks or possible sharp items it may encounter. She also has a bigger motor with a 5 year warranty which will get us in and out of rough surf and easily get us on top of the waves when we have more weight in the boat. We also chose this particular model since she will fit nicely on the bow/front of the boat when on a passage. She can also be relied on to safely be towed behind Nymeria when going for a short trip. Overall, we needed something that was stronger, bigger and more reliable. I’m sure the honeymoon phase will fade, as it often does, but we are currently quite happy with our purchase.
The rest of the summer is planned with boat projects and to get Nymeria and Lady out of the slip as much as possible. When traveling by land isn’t advised right now, traveling and playing in the water will do just fine.
We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us.
