Hi all,
Now here's a lighthearted piece that might distract us from the troubled
world in which we live, at least for a minute or two.
Bob Hachey
It's orange, huge - and seaworthy .
By Steve Annear Globe Staff .
THE OPEN SEAS - When Christian Ilsley told friends and family he planned to
grow a massive pumpkin in his Revere backyard, hardly anyone batted an
eyelash. Later, when he proclaimed his intentions to hollow out the pumpkin
and float across the Boston Harbor while sitting inside, still, no one was
too surprised. Those closest to Ilsley say he's full of grandiose ideas -
and is known for following through. "If there's something odd to be done,
he'll do it," said Ilsley's father, Steve Ilsley. "Once he puts his mind to
something, it gets done, no matter how crazy it is. On Sunday morning around
8:30, before most people had washed the sleep from their eyes, Ilsley
executed what may have been his zaniest plan to date. The West Roxbury
native squeezed into the 520-pound Atlantic Giant pumpkin that he nurtured
for months in the confines of his garden, as a friend using a crane lowered
him into the water at Jeffries Yacht Club, in East Boston. After getting his
bearings, Ilsley took a puff of a cigarette, ripped the cord on the small
motor he had affixed to the hollowed pumpkin, and set out on his voyage to
the Boston Fish Pier and back. Under a cloudless blue sky, Ilsley's pumpkin
boat - supported by wood planks, 100 feet of rope, 44 screws, and bits of
foam to keep it from sinking - puttered from the docks and bobbed toward the
open channel. "It was a little nerve-racking at first," he would say later.
"And getting like comfortable inside of it. Harbor traffic was light, and
three boats packed with supporters accompanied Ilsley's fruit vessel to
ensure his safety. Before his excursion, Ilsley contacted the United States
Coast Guard, he said. In an e-mail, they told Ilsley they "wish that you
were not crossing the channel," but took into account safety measures he put
in place and didn't stop him. Ilsley stayed focused as he navigated the
ocean wearing a blue-and-yellow life vest and traveling at 2 miles per hour.
Within 30 minutes, he managed to cross most of the channel without issue. A
few times during the first leg of the trip to the pier, boats cut through
Ilsley's path, creating a wake. The first boat was a water taxi whose
operator craned his neck in disbelief as Ilsley floated by. "It's a pumpkin!
Granville Harris, the father of one of Ilsley's friends, shouted to the
operator. Later, a large, gleaming white yacht crossed in front of Ilsley.
The ship's smooth sides tore through the waters, as waves rippled toward
Ilsley's pumpkin. "That doesn't look good," Harris said. Everyone braced for
impact. But the pumpkin boat rose and fell with the green waves, without
taking on water. Friends and family cheered the small victory. Ilsley
laughed and kept moving. Just past 9 a.m., Ilsley touched his hand against
the stone wall of the Fish Pier, determination in his eyes. Wasting no time,
he pushed off, turned the boat around, and hit the gas as he headed back to
East Boston. The return voyage was much smoother, and Ilsley was noticeably
more comfortable. By 9:40 a.m., Ilsley was safely back where he started, his
vision realized and mission complete. Steve Annear can be reached at
steve.annear@xxxxxxxxx.
