Yesterday morning, the sun peeked into the open door of this boat shed and found Aretha, an 11½-foot shellback dinghy. She seemed to smile poignantly at the attention.
Well, actually, we were the ones who were poignant as we also peered into that WoodenBoat School building. We knew that the door soon would seal her and her kind into that shadowy place. We also knew that our clear memories of Aretha’s summer days cheerily bobbing on the water would fade into uncertainty. She won’t feel direct sunlight again until late May or early June of 2020. We hope to be there when it makes her smile. (Brooklin, Maine)