The Car Show

Every July we have our annual "Books and Backpacks" drive at work. This fundraiser helps provide students with the school supplies they need but cannot afford in these trying times.

But for us, it means its time for our annual car show!  In addition to a cookie, everyone who contributes a donation gets to vote for their favorite sports car. The car with the most votes wins a trophy. Its great fun and we look forward to it every year.

I must confess that, while most of my co-workers are into sports cars, my DNA appears to be missing the sports car gene that they all have.  I get the same thrill going 7 mph that they get at 107 mph.  Consequently, I do not own a sports car.  Still, my co-workers have shown a keen interest during the past two years in the building of Ellie and invited me to display her at this years show.


There were several beautiful Porsches

There were Corvettes, old and new

Jack brought his 1950 Mercury "Louie Louie"

 There were some classics

A Chevelle and a Challenger

And there was Ellie.

Ellie, of course, didnt stand a chance of winning this event.

After all, many of these beautiful automobiles have interiors crafted of the finest leather. Ellies interior is made of salvaged firewood.

Their exteriors have gleaming paint jobs, beautifully hand waxed to a mirror-like finish.  Ellies exterior is covered with hardware store porch and floor enamel.

No need to bring Ellies tiny 2.5hp outboard. It would be no match for the sweet rumble and exciting thunder of any of these powerful sports car engines.

I would wager that some of the owners have as many hours invested in their show cars as I have in building Ellie, and most have invested easily 10 times as much of their hard earned money.

So you can imagine my utter surprise when Jeff, our lead Engineer and car show host, came running out shouting "Joel, you won the car show!"

How is it possible that Ellie could win an event such as this?

It certainly wasnt my doing. My boat building skills are average at best.  Besides, I built Ellie to be sailed, not to be a museum piece, and it shows.

No, there is only one possibility.

There can be but one logical explanation.

There is just Something about Navigator

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