Bill Griswold, IPFC and Carol Thomas
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Original condition of the boat |
Vision, elbow grease and ingenuity – not to mention some horse-trading and a little money – turned a water weary 1988 Sea Ray into a safety demonstration boat for Flotilla 070-04-03. When then-FSO-VE Ron Thomas found the “Sea Spray” last year, it had been sitting in Melvin and Dolly Brimmer’s side yard for more than five years, a sad reminder that their son Bill, who owned it, died too soon.
The motor that Melvin and Bill rebuilt sat on the Brimmer’s garage floor, along with the drive shaft and prop. A leaf-stained anchor leaned up against a tree. There were cracks in a couple of the boat’s windows. The trailer tires were flat.
To Ron, it was a thing of beauty. Only a week before, he proposed that Flotilla 43 acquire a boat, permanently mount it on a trailer and use to train potential vessel examiners, teach schoolchildren about boats and safety; and serve as an attention getter and boating safety promoter in area parades and boat shows.
The idea was met with enthusiastic support at the flotilla meeting. “Great idea,” said then Flotilla Commander Bill Griswold. “Go for it.”
After looking at dozens of boats across three counties, Ron spotted the 21-foot “Sea Spray” and spoke with the Brimmers about the demo boat idea. A few family conversations later, the Brimmers agreed to donate the vessel to Flotilla 43.
It was not “as simple as that.” It seldom is. Permission to accept the boat and pursue the project was asked for, and granted, by the District 7 legal officer. The boat’s title, still in the name of the man who sold it to Bill Brimmer, had to be cleared up and the boat and trailer registered – a story in itself. Next, the questions of where would the boat and trailer be worked on, what it should look like, and where it would be “docked” after work was completed.
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Washington Day Parade – Eustis, FL |
Here is where the flotilla’s partner relationships paid off. Gary Jurkovich (former member now a member of Flotilla 26-3, 9CR) introduced Ron to Johnny Steele, of Steele’s Fiberglass and Marine in Leesburg, FL during a supervised RBS Program visit. Shortly after that meeting, Ron returned to talk with Johnny about the demonstration boat and the flotilla’s need for help in restoring it.
Johnny and his father agreed to allow Ron to work in the boatyard. For months, the Steeles provided water, electricity and occasional advice. The “horse-trading” began. To be used as a teaching tool on school campuses, oil and gas needed to be drained from the boat. Since the boat was going to be permanently mounted, it didn’t need a working motor.
The motor traded for a smaller one that was cleaned, painted and installed; the gas tank exchanged for stainless steel railings to dress up the deck; a table stand was swapped for a captain’s chair post (the old bench seats were torn out to make room on the deck for visitors and trainees). From surplus at the boatyard, Ron picked up cleats, hangers and fasteners to make the new stuff fit.
Others became interested in the project: Garmin donated a non-working radar dome; Glen Raven Mills donated enough Sunbrella material to make a boat cover. Local merchants gave discounts on the materials for new brakes and wiring for the trailer, for a captain’s chair, hatch, and Plexiglas windows. The Steeles agreed to supply headliner and carpeting at cost – if Ron would help with the labor. The tarp maker cut her costs.
An aluminum tower stretches across the stern to support the radar dome. “US Coast Guard Aux” banners attach to both sides of the tower and will be visible even when the boat is covered. Flotilla members have begun donating to the cause: money for insurance; new tires for the trailer; flag and ensign; trailer jack; life vests; money to cover the trailer and boat repair costs. The widow of an Auxiliarist from another flotilla donated vests, life jackets and uniforms for the project.
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Restored "Sea Spray" |
Ron and wife Carol gutted the inside of the boat. They removed the head, galley and bunks and ripped out old carpeting and headliner. After a bit more buffing, patching of leaks, and below-the-waterline hull painting, the “Sea Spray” went back to Steele’s for final outfitting. Members voted for a special assessment and an increase to their dues to help with costs.
This Safety Demo Boat (SDB) will enable the flotilla to expand our safe boating message,” said Commander Griswold. “We hope to use it in local parades, at boat shows, take it to schools for kids to actually get on, and use it as a training asset for our members. Ron and Carol are to be commended for their great work, as well as flotilla members who have contributed so much to its success.”
City of Leesburg authorities have agreed to give the Safety Demonstration Boat a “berth” in the center of the parking lot at the town’s Venetian Park next to a marina and boat ramp for display when it is not “on duty” for the flotilla. To date the SDB has appeared in several local parades, been positioned at ramps during Safety Check efforts, and during the Tavares, Florida’s 4th of July parade she won best float in the parade.
~CC 06-17-11
