Naming a boat…

Years ago when we were flying back from Key West in the single engine airplane we decided to stop in Brunswick, Georgia for lunch and to take a look at St Simon’s Island as we’d never been there. We borrowed a loaner car at the General Aviation side of the airport and had a lovely time exploring for a few hours.

When we returned to the airport it took Gary about five minutes before he informed me we were stuck for the night as the weather had turned unfriendly. We couldn’t even get as far as Wilmington, NC to see the kids. So, I did what I always did in these situations- approached the woman behind the desk with a request for a rental car and a hotel for the night.

Now you have to understand that we were in Georgia and the woman was about eighty years old with a white beehive hairdo. In a thoroughly southern accent she told me “there’s ah Read Roooof Inn about ah mile or so away.” Now nothing against Red Roof Inns but in these situations we’ve always tried to turn the delay into an adventure. So I asked for a rental car and thought we’d take our chances on finding a different place to stay.

At the main terminal while getting the rental car the clerk, when asked, suggested we check with The King & Prince Resort out on the beach.  It’s a highly rated resort with a great restaurant and sounded like what we were looking for. Normally there was a two night minimum but they had several cancellations (probably due to the weather) and were willing to give us a room for the one night. We drove out, had a wonderful dinner and stayed in a beautiful room overlooking the water.

The next day upon returning to the General Aviation side of the airport I encountered the same eighty year old lady with the beehive hairdo. While I was signing the fuel charge she asked me where we had ended up the night before. When told that we stayed at the King & Prince her response was “well laaaa-diiii-daaaah!” We laughed all the way home.

Years later when faced with naming our new to us boat I remembered that story. It’s a good sized boat unless you’re in Florida and since the phrase is “an interjection indicating that one is impressed…usually used sarcastically” it seemed somehow appropriate. We changed the spelling a little to accommodate Gary’s requirement for symmetry.