From One Hunky Dory to Another
The name Hunky Dory has been part of my life since childhood. My father built a houseboat named Hunky Dory in 1969, and some of my strongest memories of growing up are connected to that boat and Trinity Lake in Northern California.
From about age 15 through 17, I spent my summers living aboard the houseboat while working at Estrellita Marina. Those summers gave me an enduring love of boats, marinas and life on the water. The houseboat was more than a place to stay—it was part of a way of life that combined work, recreation and the freedom of being on the lake.
Many years later, when Debbie and I purchased our current boat, giving her the name Hunky Dory created a connection between those childhood experiences and a new chapter in our lives.
The Current Hunky Dory
Our Hunky Dory is a 1979 Cheoy Lee 55-foot trawler. We purchased her in 2014 knowing that a boat of her age and size would require a considerable amount of work. That was part of the reason I wanted her.
I was looking for a hobby centered on something I have always loved. Hunky Dory gives me an almost endless variety of things to learn, investigate, repair and improve. The work ranges from mechanical, electrical, plumbing and sanitation systems to fiberglass repairs, woodworking and interior restoration. Every completed project usually reveals another opportunity to understand the boat a little better.
Our goal is not to transform Hunky Dory into a completely different boat. We want to preserve the character and simple, old-fashioned elegance of a classic 1970s trawler while improving her reliability, safety, comfort and usefulness.
Working Together
Hunky Dory is a shared project for Debbie and me. We work together on the boat, make decisions together and share the experiences that come with owning, restoring and operating her.
I generally spend much of my time researching the boat’s systems, identifying what needs attention and determining the order in which projects should be completed. Understanding how one system or repair affects another helps guide me toward what we should do next.
Debbie is an important part of that process. She helps identify problems, test equipment, operate the boat and work through practical solutions. She also brings a different perspective to decisions about comfort, appearance and how we use the boat. Many projects are completed through a combination of my research and planning and the work we do together aboard Hunky Dory.
More Than a Restoration Project
Although restoration is a major part of owning Hunky Dory, it is not the entire purpose of the boat. She is also a place where we spend time together, welcome family and friends, explore the waterways, anchor in quiet coves and occasionally take longer cruises.
Over time, Hunky Dory has become part workshop, part classroom, part cruising boat and part home on the water. This website documents that continuing story—the work we have completed, what we have learned, the places we have traveled and the experiences we have shared along the way.