Lakers respond to our request for stories behind intriguing transom lettering

By Jerry Hale

Dave and Libby Pearsall

                “We were lucky the former owner removed the name from our Catalina 28 before we bought her, otherwise we’d have been stuck with “Sugar Plum,” a reference to his granddaughter.”

                It’s bad luck, nautical legend has it, to willingly change a boat’s name, but the Pearsalls got a blank canvas.

                “Libby and I went to Australia for our 25th anniversary shortly after buying the boat, and we hoped to come across an interesting name there,” Dave said. “The 9/11 attacks gave us pause about our Oct. 19 departure, but we decided to go for it.

                “We were overwhelmed by the expressions of grief and sympathy from every Australian we met. And while we came upon some Aussie name possibilities –‘Yaldara,’ an Aboriginal word for sparkling water was the front-runner – we were so moved by the Aussie admiration for our country and what it stands for, we decided a tribute to America was more appropriate. ‘LIBERTY’ became the obvious choice.

                “But it’s not a unique name, so we decided to distinguish it with a font reminiscent of the Declaration of Independence. Red and blue letters on the white hull were the natural choice of colors.”

                The Pearsalls moved to Smith Mountain Lake in July 2005 and are thankful for the liberty they enjoy here and in all aspects of their lives every day. 

                “LIBERTY!” It’s a name we can all cherish. Watch for it and give the Pearsalls a wave — better still, a salute! 

Jim King and Mary Miller

                Jim King and Mary Miller are rowers first and sailors second. They hadn’t really considered having a powerboat at their new SML home until friends offered them a classic deal: Pony up $1 (plus shipping) and “High C’s”, the Childs family’s 1963 32-foot Chris Craft express cruiser, would relocate from Lake Michigan to beautiful SML, free and clear. While Jim was pondering all the work involved in caring for an all-wood cabin cruiser, Mary gave the twin Gray Marine Fireball V8s a test crank, shouted “deal” over the burbling idle noises, and soon the boat was on a flatbed headed south. Now it looks very much at home bobbing next to their Nantucket-style boathouse up near B26A. 

                Both Jim and Mary have deep ties to Virginia Tech. And they soon discovered the great joy of gentle idle-speed cruising, spotting birds along the Blackwater shorelines through binoculars.

                “Those engines were built long before anyone worried much about fuel economy,” Jim said. “At anything over 1,200 rpm, the four-barrel carbs really gobble the fuel. So we take it slow and easy and enjoy the scenery.”

“POKEY HOKIE” will soon replace “High C’s” on the Chris Craft’s transom billboard. Give Jim and Mary a wave when you blow by! They’ll wave back.

Clyde and Dianna Rogers             

                The Rogers’ love affair with Smith Mountain Lake is not new; they’ve been driving 190 miles each way from North Carolina to weekend here for the past 12 years. They bought land in the late 1990s and built a Lake home in 2000. Clyde’s job as chief of WMD (yes, that’s Weapons Of You Know What) with the Fort Bragg Fire Department, however, meant they still had to close up the Lake place on Sunday afternoon and trek back to work.

                But finally they’ve gained the freedom to enjoy the Lake’s weekday charms. Last February, Clyde stashed the protective gear in his Fort Bragg Fire Department locker for the last time. His pursuits this summer are considerably more peaceful and relaxing: he and Dianna are savoring SML from their base camp near R25, just above the S-Curve. 

                Their “weapon of choice” for conquering retirement is a 24-foot Sea Ray Express, which they enjoy pointing toward the dam for quiet evening cruises along the shoreline.

                “It’s magic when the house lights on shore start coming on,” gushed Dianna. “It’s indeed been a ‘LONG TIME COMING,’ Clyde added. “But well worth the wait!”

Ted and Leah Killingsworth

                “When we bought our 34-foot SeaRay, we decided to let Leah’s dad John, a retired English professor, help with the naming,” Ted said. “He had written several poems in tribute to Leah’s mom after she died from a car accident. Two of the poems appeared in a collection entitled, Wry Wine.

                “We decided that name would give him ‘connection’ – and give us a name relevant to the boat. You see, she’s trimmed with burgundy accents – hence the ‘wine.’ But more ironically, ‘Wry’ can be used to mean ‘cynical’ or ‘mocking.’ Any boater knows a boat can have a mind of its own and almost mock you when you are trying to get it to behave. ‘WRY WINE’ constantly reminds us not to get too confident because she can ‘mock’ her captain at any time.”

                Hmmm…we spotted “WRY WINE” in her slip and assumed the name referred to the contents of one of the ship’s lockers!

In the March/April issue, we began asking SML boaters to tell us how their boats got their names.  If you want to play the Laker Boat Name Game, e-mail your story and a photo of you enjoying the boat (with the name clearly visible) to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it