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Holiday 2018
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boatingonthehudson.com
B
arry Clark, 81, made an epic journey this past August, in honor of his late wife,
Dolores. The couple had planned one last great adventure together, cruising in
a tiny aluminum outboard skiff the entire length of the Hudson River and Lake
Champlain, but sadly she passed away before their dream could be realized.
With a plot reminiscent of the Disney/Pixar movie, “Up”, Mr. Clark, a retired
Marine, set out aboard his vessel, Dolores, to complete the mission. He made
it, successfully, to the Canadian border with a little help from some newfound
friends along the way.
Members of the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County, most significantly
Schuyler Yacht Basin’s Jason Young and Mohawk Valley Marine’s Bob Esperti,
rose to the occasion in helping give Mr. Clark’s vessel
a much needed tune up and repair before exiting the
Champlain Canal for the big waters of Lake Champlain.
Jason patched a few weak spots, Bob donated a new prop,
the Chamber donated fresh oil, outdrive lube and a new
masthead light, and the Schuyler Yacht Basin crew cleaned
up the boat and gave Mr. Clark some time to rest and
recoup in a local residence before continuing his journey.
A local resident even made the trip up to trailer the boat home to New Jersey
when the voyage was done!
Dolores herself surely was watching from above. When the crew began to put
the lube oil in the lower unit, the fitting for the pump was the wrong size and
thread. Nobody had the correct one handy, but suddenly someone noticed an
extra fitting lying in the bottom of the toolbox that hadn’t been accounted for,
one which had never been used. Sure enough it fit! Seems that no matter what
time of year it is, there is a little bit of Holiday spirit in the air! God Bless you,
Barry Clark, for reminding us all of what the meaning of life truly is all about.
above:
A military veteran himself and owner of
three downtown Schuylerville businesses, Jason
Young (third from right) made sure that Dolores
was ship shape before bidding Mr. Clark bon voyage
on the rest of his journey.
right:
Bob Esperti of Mohawk Valley Marine
(right) donated a new propeller to make sure the
Mercury 9.9 hp outboard could safely get Dolores to
her final destination.
by
Pete Bardunias
President/CEO, the Chamber of Southern Saratoga County