Props: the missing link
Lowell Sheppard • October 8, 2019
It has been a month since the propeller fell off, and there is no solution in site. It has been on my mind almost constantly since early September.
It seems that this old boat (they only made 125 of them between 1987 and 1991) is rather difficult to find parts for, in particular the propeller.
Ironically, it is not the first time I have given considerable time, emotional stress, and intellectual effort to the subject of props. Quite a few years ago I wrote a book called Boys Becoming Men, and in it I explored the absence of puberty rites of passage (PROPs) for young men in Western society.
I referred not only to the acronym “PROP,” but also used the word “prop” as a metaphor, pointing out that the word has three usages in our language.
First, the word "prop" is one from the world of theatre where a prop is an "ordinary object that is transformed into something magical that creates the world of fantasy." They are temporary and disposable
In the second usage, it is not only a noun but a verb as in to "prop something up." It implies stability. If it weren't present there would be instability and the danger of collapse. For example, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is not propped up to prevent it leaning at a terminal angle.
The third brings us to the world of transportation as "prop" is a shortened version of "propeller." Here is verbatim what I wrote: "A propeller, of course, propels a craft forward. Without a prop, a boat will drift and an aircraft will drop. A prop is essential for a safe and successful journey."
All of these images and usages of the word “prop” - something ordinary becoming magical, a buoyancy aid, and a device that provides speed and direction - are relevant to me now.
What now?
As I write this, I'm stuck afloat in Wahine's berth at the Island of Dreams Marina
(Yumenoshima Marina) in Tokyo Bay.
For one month we have not been out to sea because of the absence of a prop. We are not doing what we are meant to do and be, because without a prop we cannot leave the harbor. To sail, at the moment, is a mere fantasy. And, as write this at 5:00 am on Tuesday morning October 8th, 2019, there is no solution in site. You would think it would be easy to find a new prop, but it seems not. The prop for each boat is unique, and it seems made to measure.
So, I conclude that I am going through yet another “puberty rite of passage.” Wahine and I are growing up, and I have things yet to learn about being a man and setting sail towards the goals we set and the dreams that draw us.
