ALBACORA 175 



ample space for big windows, the dinette seemed larger 

 than it actually was. On a compact functional ship, 

 such as the Explorer, an illusion of space is the best 

 possible compromise. 



"One other thing," I said to Lou, after we had dis- 

 cussed the dinette with Wheeler. "I want a good work- 

 able shower." 



"Wheeler," Lou asked, "can you give us a good big 

 shower?" 



"Hell," Wheeler said, "I can give you Niagara Falls 

 if you figure out a place for me to put it." 



Lou hasn't yet devised a floating waterfall, but in 

 less than a half-hour he had that shower bath on paper. 



While the Explorer was under construction, Wheeler 

 Shipyards was almost a home away from home. Lou 

 and I shuttled over to watch construction and Walt Gor- 

 man, who was already signed on as Captain, practi- 

 cally lived at the Shipyards. 



"There are quite a few kinds of mahogany I can get 

 you," Wheeler said once. "You got any preference?" 



"Hell, yes," Lou said. "It's got to be Honduras ma- 

 hogany. That's the only wood sure to keep its varnish." 



For Lou, most of the questions were no tougher than 

 that, until one morning Gene Wheeler stopped him 

 dead. In many areas where we intended to fish, the 

 ocean teemed with nautical termites, persistent little 

 swimming organisms that bored straight through all 

 kinds of wooden hulls. The surest way to starve the 

 bugs and save the boat demanded a fiberglass covering 



