I have had a Fireball sailboat since 1970 and it has seen a lot of nautical miles over the years. However, it may have just seen the last sail.
Our neighbour at the cottage on Brereton Lake got a Y Flyer sailboat one year and that was the beginning of my teenage sailing adventures. I learned sailing with them and pestered them at every chance to go sailing.
One weekend we went to West Hawk lake to watch some sailboat racing. In the day there were Y Flyers, Lightenings and Fireballs. The Fireballs were fast and exciting racing boats and I started working on my Dad to get one. Then, one summer weekend in 1970, it arrived.
I sailed on Lake Brereton with my friend Gregg for many years just sailing around and racing any and all boats we could find.
With the move to Lake of the Woods it was mainly solo sailing and the boat spent a fair bit of time on shore. I tried to get Eric and Scott to sail when they were young but a very windy first sail put an end to that. With Grandkids I thought I’d have another change to sail with this generation.
I got the ramp for the sailboat into a workable position and Eric & friends got the Fireball into the lake and up on the ramp. This would be the first time back in the water since 2019.
Easton was willing to go sailing so one Saturday afternoon we went out in a light wind. However, a few minutes in the wind stopped and Scott used the Sea-doo to push us back to shore.
The following day the wind was still fairly light so Easton and I set out again. Before going out I made an adjustment to the centreboard mounting that I thought would make it more secure. But, a few minutes in two of the four screws holding it in place pulled loose. I thought we’d still be OK for this sail and I could fix it later. However, this turns out to be a bad decision.
After a few tacks back and forth across the bay we were approaching the far shore right across from our cottage. As we came about we were slow to get to the high side and I’d left the main sail cleated (bad) and we caught a gust of wind which caused the boat to capsize!
Both Easton and I are in the water and the mast and sails go straight down and we are in a full “turtle” position. Well, all is not lost, I’ve been in this situation a few times over the years and all you need to do is climb up on the bottom of the boat, pull on the centreboard to get the sail back up to the surface and when it breaks free of the surface, quickly get into the boat before it carries on and capsizes again in the opposite direction.
But there is a problem. I’m no longer strong enough to haul myself up on the bottom of the boat. Easton can but he’s too light to pull the boat and sail up. Fortunately, there is a family on their dock right close to us and they offer to come out and help. They arrive in a nice boat with two adults, two twenty something guys (sons) and four grandkids who don’t want to be left out of this adventure.
We try to use the motor boat to pull the sailboat upright but that’s not working so we opt for towing to a nearby dock. As the water gets shallower the mast is now dragging on the bottom and the wind indicator is broken off along the way. At the dock we eventually get the boat upright and I’m thinking we can just sail home. However, the centerboard brackets have come fully loose and are now somewhere at the bottom of the lakes. We now need a tow across the bay to get the sailboat home.
At this point Shirley, Mandy and Clark have been watching from our dock and trying to launch a rescue attempt. But, nobody can drive the Sea-doo or motor boat so they call Alan Smith and he comes out with his boat and tows us home.
We all end up safe and sound back on our dock after spending over an hour in the lake wrestling with the sailboat. I’ve lost my Crocks and the centreboard brackets but kept my glasses. The sad part is that I now realize that my sailing days may be over. If I can’t right the boat after a capsize this could be a very bad thing especially if there is nobody around to come out and rescue me. It’s a sad day after over 55 years of sailing.
