April 4, 2008 - Whangarei

It happens in every boat yard. Heck, we do it whenever we happen by a new yard or marina. People drive in the gates and take a slow turn around the yard, checking out the boats. Late yesterday afternoon, one such lookyloo, driving a maroon car with a "GE Free NZ" bumpersticker and a wooden pallet strapped to the roof, took a spin through Dockland 5. He drove past Mata'irea, staring at our neighbors as they worked on their hull, paying no attention to where he was going. He was rubbernecking so hard that he drove right into one of the empty hardstands (a concrete pallet with steel support beams sticking out of it). His car stalled. He started it again, backed up, and continued on his slow tour. Our neighbors and I looked at each other like, did that really just happen? Seriously, if I had just driven into hardstand I would have hightailed it out of there out of sheer embarrassment. Not this guy. He just continued to meander his way through the yard. Was it happy hour or had he just spent the day inhaling too many bottom paint fumes?