Good Omens through the fog in Rhode Island
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It was an incredibly foggy November morning in Rhode Island when my partner and I drove the few miles from our motel to the yard where we would first meet Good Omens. As we drove down the little side road that fronts Narragansett Bay we strained our eyes to peer through the soupy fog for a first glimpse of our future home. The fog was not cooperating. Suddenly the distinctive shape of a classic ketch insinuated itself through the fog. Good Omens! We immediately stopped the car and jumped out to gaze at her. Love at first site. She was so strongly beautiful resting atop the running tide of the bay.
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We flung ourselves into the offices of Quality Yacht Services and found Mark Perry, the owner and manager. We anxiously shook hands and then begged him to take us to her. His son, Stephen, was called into service to taxi us out to inspect our possible home. Not knowing exactly who Stephen was - he was just introduced to us as Stephen - I asked him how he liked working at the yard. He responded with confidence, but not overly so, "It's good". He looked to be in his early twenties so I asked how long he had worked for Mark. "Seven years", he said. Amazed at such loyalty I said something to the effect of "That's amazing! Mark must be a great boss and the yard a fantastic place to work." "He's my dad." I was never so relieved at having not made some offhand, smart remark about this young man's father. Of course, that would be hard to do since Mark Perry is about as likeable and down-to-earth as humans come. So it was that Mark's son, Stephen ferried us out to Good Omens.
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Good Omens from her starboard quarter
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Good Omens on her starboard deck.
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Standing on her solid decks and feeling her strength beneath our bare feet was empowering. The mass of fog enveloping us as we stood there in the Rhode Island morning lent a strong sense of fantasy to our first moments aboard. This wasn't a ship that sailed the oceans, but instead, danced through the clouds.
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My first walk out onto the bowspirt. It's a massive teak slab clad in places with tarnished brass. This image somehow doesn't look like our boat. It's likely the wide angle lens that is distorting the boat's actual shape - she's much beamier than the picture suggests.
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Good Omens from the bow.
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Good Omens' cockpit.
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Good Omens' cockpit is small by modern production boat standards, but incredibly comfortable and seaworthy. The relatively small size of the cockpit means less overall water-holding volume. This is very important offshore in the event a large wave swamps the cockpit. Low volume means less weight when swamped and quicker draining time. The arm rests at the end of the bench seats are perfect for stretching out against and relaxing. The odd shape of the helm seat gives good support and a snug fit for the helmsperson on either tack. Also, the floor at the helm is concave so that standing isn't a problem on either tack as well.
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The pedestal and wheel exhibit their classic lines and curves. The pedestal sports a Ritchie compass and separate throttle and gear levers. I prefer separate levers; with careful operation there's never a chance of the engine rpm's increasing before the transmission is engaged, a nasty problem with unhappy consequences for engine mounts. The wheel is covered in teak making it incredibly soft and warm to the touch. Of course, it's one more bit of wood to varnish, but I think it's worth it. The grate in the cockpit floor can be raised to the level of the bench seats to create a massive outdoor berth. Perfect for watching the stars on a mosquitoless tropical evening. Is there such a thing?
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Good Omens' cockpit.
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