A large family has big adventures in a small boat
Issue 67: July/Aug 2009
A two-day passage into bright blue sub-tropical water inspired pleasant reflections on how the journey with our good old boat had unfolded so far, and gave my wife, Amy, and me a chance to count our blessings. Nestled in a shallow anchorage, we were enjoying the sunset with a few fishing boats at Marquesas Keys, 25 miles west of Key West. The peace of the hour was complemented by the laughter of our children as they watched a snapper flopping around inside the tender — we had been the recent beneficiaries of gifts from area fishermen that included five snapper along with recommendations for nearby diving spots. Our kids, Emily, 11; Russell, 9; Joy, 5; and Grace, 4, love cruising and were enthralled with the setting and a chance to see fishing boats up close.
Our Nimble 20 had cruised here in comfort, cutting through the water like the porpoises that danced in her bow wave. In beautiful 80-degree temperatures, a 10- to 12-knot trade wind pushed her along on a lazy beam reach at 5 knots. (We lost some speed due to the 12-foot rowboat filled with gear we were towing.) Conditions were so good we unfurled our custom foresail, modeled after Ted Brewer’s Rob Roy. Its 180 square feet allow us to maintain maximum speed in light-air conditions. With the foresail, main, and mizzen combined, we raised more than 300 square feet of sail. Our 20-foot double-ender is a traditional boat for the Keys. Similar to the sharpie, she was built by Nimble Boats in Clearwater, Florida. Her name, Bide A Wee, passed down from my grandparents’ boat, is an Irish phrase meaning “Stay with me a while.”
We had planned our toughest passage yet for the next day: 50 miles farther west across the Gulf Stream to the Dry Tortugas. But tension aboard rose as the forecast suggested the approach of a front. There would be a small-craft advisory the next evening. If the seas were steep and breaking, it would be risky. Letting go of our big destination was easy, however, because so many grand events had unfolded all around us in the Florida Keys.
A long but worthwhile haul
It was easy to justify towing Bide A Wee 1,500 miles to be there. We had launched at Bahia Honda State Park at the west end of the Seven-Mile Bridge, midway down the island chain that makes up the Florida Keys, and were immediately greeted by a manatee. It lazily munched sea grasses so close to our kids I asked them what its breath smelled like. The park was so delightful we lingered to enjoy it. We played on the white sand beach, practiced snorkeling, explored sponge beds, and spotted sea turtles, porpoise, sharks, and a wide variety of fish and birds. Perhaps, in addition to being our boat’s make, “nimble” is our mantra; we adjust our destinations and schedules with the weather, or follow the trail of discovery as it presents itself.
After dinner, we watched a family movie on the laptop computer while crammed two to a bunk. There were no real complaints; the adventure far outweighed sleeping conditions. Shoes and suitcases were stowed in bags in the cockpit; all usable cabin space was reserved for sleeping.
By the time we had been separated from my wristwatch by 60 miles, our days began to be scheduled by the sun. Sunrise’s soft glow on the warm teak and brass cabin trimmings, along with the peaceful stillness of my slumbering family, reminded me of how life has changed my perspective. Simple things bring heartfelt joy.
So instead of battling large seas, we moved to the nearby diving spots, deployed the boarding ladder, and retrieved snorkel gear from the tender. Anticipation grew as at bedtime on Christmas Eve. Bide A Wee became a frenzied blur of activity. Before long, we were spotting sponges, corals, and sea fans. Even though the fish appeared to be elsewhere on that particular morning, there were no complaints. We took a second dive, then retrieved the anchor and enjoyed another lazy sail on a beam reach to Key West.
Arrival in a harbor commonly finds our charming little boat greeted by friendly folks. Her classic design sparks curiosity. But the reaction in Key West exceeded my expectations. Local sea captains and their crews complimented us on our happy, well-mannered kids. They could barely hide their surprise that six of us were cruising together on such a small boat. After a couple of days, they were sharing their catch and relating grand stories of their boats and cruising adventures. They also shared knowledge of the local waters, maritime advice, fishing advice, lessons about weather patterns, and enough recommendations for nearby shallow-water destinations to fill a couple more vacations.
A dream realized
Ownership of Bide A Wee has been a lifelong journey for me. It started at age 5 in my grandfather’s workshop when I spotted a box of yacht magazines. Once on my own, it took me 10 years before I was able to buy a boat. It seems an impossible chance that, shortly after moving to Peoria, Illinois, I wandered into a tiny marina and was approached by Steve Eakle, who was preparing a Nimble for delivery. For several months this boat lingered in my thoughts; no other boat could replace it. I ordered my Nimble new from Steve in 1991 and, when I visited Clearwater, Florida, for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, my whole family traveled to the Nimble factory and met Jerry Koch and his tradesmen as they were building her. Jerry preferred that his boats be built by sailors. Over the 17 years that we have owned Bide A Wee, we have gained appreciation for the quality of workmanship that went into her.
Adapting to the Nimble
My first date with Amy was a local cruise in Bide A Wee on the beautiful waters of Peoria Lake, a very wide bend in the Illinois River. The following summer, during our courtship, we logged 50 daysails with friends.
As our family grew, I considered buying a bigger boat, but our local waters are silting up and becoming increasingly shallow, and we couldn’t bear to let go of Bide A Wee. So, instead, we adapted. We took Russell, Joy, and Grace each on daysails before they reached two weeks of age.
One year, for my birthday present, Amy encouraged me to upgrade from our 5-hp outboard to a 15-hp motor with an alternator. The motor sits nicely in a cockpit well forward of the transom-hung rudder. A teak table covering it has become a do-it-yourselfer’s paradise. We added a solar charger on top, cup holders on the sides, a marine radio and an anemometer display inside. Ted Brewer’s design provides perfect space for two marine batteries secured snugly under the cockpit floor. The end result is a steady stream of electrical power, so we don’t need shore utilities.
As Bide A Wee ages gracefully, she offers opportunities to teach our young crew maritime skills. For this trip, everyone worked a focused weekend on trailer restoration. Completely on their own, the kids pulled our 12-foot aluminum rowboat from under the backyard deck and prepared it for the journey. Russell helped me rebuild the tiller. The metal loop around the mizzen mast offered a fair challenge, but we were very pleased with the strength of our new one.
Over previous vacations, we’d sailed farther in far less time, but we found we needed to go at a slower pace to take in all the abundant marine life along the Florida Keys. Upon returning home, the kids attacked their make-up schoolwork with enthusiasm ignited by our cruise. Our can-do outlook has been reinforced. A nimble attitude and affordable cruiser allowed us to maintain a steady pace of family vacations beyond tourist experiences to self-directed wide-ranging adventures. It reminds me of the Magic Tree House stories we read to our children; Bide A Wee is an extension of our home that we take on wild journeys of discovery.
Paul and Amy English have been cruising their Nimble 20, Bide A Wee, along the Illinois River in Peoria since their first date in 1992. For family vacations with their four children, they trailer her to Lake Michigan and the Florida Keys.
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
