Three visitors help 86-year-old finish his boat
Three visitors helped an eighty-six-year-old man in Texas complete his sixty-two-foot boat project.
Dale from Mineral Wells began building the vessel in 1987 with a goal to sail it to Alaska eventually. The steel boat has four staterooms and remains roughly 75% complete after many years of work. Heavy machinery is required to move the vessel because a steep hill blocks the path to the public road nearby.
Dale can no longer perform the construction tasks alone due to his advanced age and physical limitations today. Three visitors named Laurence Benson, Benjie, and Will arrived unannounced after hearing about the impressive boat project online.
Benson said the man showed immense passion for his dream while climbing a ladder to display the deck. A crowdfunding campaign launched quickly raised over forty-one thousand dollars from more than fifteen hundred generous donors worldwide.
Funds will cover finishing work and equipment needed to transport the boat down the difficult hill safely. Benson noted roughly fifty thousand dollars is required to launch the vessel and move it to the water. Benson continues working with Dale's family to ensure the old salt's lifelong dream reaches the finish line.
“He's as passionate now as he was 40 years ago”