Waterline: Of Fathers, Sons, and Boats

by Joe Soucheray

Book Overview

Anyone who has spent any time messing around with boats -- wooden boats in particular -- knows that those cunning curves, endless seams, and rotting wood hold more than practical challenges. All boats have histories, some more poignant than others, and few narratives of the past few decades have captured the mystique of a boat's provenance (in this case Chris Craft) or more touchingly depicted the ties that boats often create between father and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1567922147
• ISBN13: 9781567922141
• Release Date: June 2002
• Publisher: David R. Godine Publisher
• Length: 205 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

A book you will come back to, time and again

If you grew up around an old wood boat, Chris Craft, Century, Hacker or one of the many others, you will be capitivated by Joe Soucheray's account of his resurrection of "the boat his dad gave away to settle a $90 storage bill". While the boat Joe first finds is the same model and it isn't til later on that he does locate his dad's boat, Joe still lavishes a considerable amount of emotional and financial attention to this project. I'm working on a similar project with a 1947 Chris Craft. I have no ties to this boat like Joe had for his, but it is truly a labor of love for me to strip, repair, sand, fair, stain and varnish this boat. I consider it water-borne art. Every week while working on this boat, I pick up Waterline and re-read a chapter. Joe's descriptions of the various personalities in this saga are riveting. You will enjoy the story immensely.

Joseph Olshan writes beautifully.

I first read Joseph Olshan's book "The Nightswimmer" and was truly intrigued by the tale of Will Kaplan. And how his love of swimming and of the ocean play in his life. Then I found this book, "The Waterline", which featured Billy Kaplan, who loved to swim. In both novels, things that are precious and special to Billy/Will are taken away by the water. In "The Waterline", the story is told by three important voices-by his parents, Susan and Michael and by young Billy. Each tale their sides of the story of the one fateful summer day when a drowing took the life of a young boy and what Billy knew. Billy was only seven when this happen and for long 15 years, he and parents sort out what has happened and how to "make things right" again. The only person who truly understands what Billy is going through is his mothers sister, Rita. Rita was traumatized in her young life and can completely relate to what has happened to Billy, that she helps him long distance to find his resolve. I highly recomend this book and that anyone should read "The Nightswimmer" after. Billy /Will lead and interesting life and to find closure. No matter how long it takes.