Small Boat Tragedy

[jeadstx]

I have a small 12.5' fiberglass catboat I'm restoring called a Beetle Boat Swan. It's a fiberglass version of the Beetle Cat made by Carl Beetle who did a lot of pioneering work with fiberglass. My little boat was made about 1952. It has flotation tanks added to the sides just under the deck, these are original to the boat and filled with foam. The last of the Beetle Boat Swans were made by Marscot. Marscot made some of the early O'Day boats.

Flotation tanks were being put in at least by the late 40's /early 50's because my dad recounts a story of sailing his National One Design (wood boat) with his brother (who was crippled from Polio) on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin and the transom came partially off while out on the lake. He said they made it back to thier mooring due in part to the flotation tanks built into the boat. My dad has always refered to it as a "grand adventure", his brother (my uncle) who told the same story, in later years told me "it was the time your father tried to kill me". My uncle really loved to sail despite his handicap.

John

[brucybaby]

Just an FYI. The little boy who survived the accident is doing better. I logged onto his CaringBridge site to find out how he was doing and and this was todays journal entry for him:

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2012 12:21 PM, CDT
written by Sara Staley

slight improvements

Isaiah is still gaining consciousness occasionally and responding to voice. When he is conscious and someone speaks to him he will turn his head or eyes toward them. He is now getting some medication through his feeding tube, like Tylenol. His oxygen levels have been staying up and he has overrun the ventilator a couple of times, taking more breaths than the ventilator is set to. (This is pivotal) He has been off the temperature control blanket for 2 days and his body has maintained correct temperature........

Prayer helps!