The Story of Harley and Matt and The Peapod
If you know Webbers Cove Boatyard then you know Matt Cousins, the owner and Harley Slaven, his manager.
You might not know that the Cousins and Slaven families have been intertwined for generations.
Matts’ dad, known as Jug, had a best friend in Harleys’ dad, Ralph Sr. The families lived next door to each other for a time and as a result, Jug and Ralphs’ boys became friends, lifelong friends, Matt, Ralph Jr. and the youngest, Harley.
In addition to their close friendship, Ralph Jr. and Harley became an integral part of Webbers Cove Boatyard.
While not an official employee, Ralph is always at the ready and his gracious generosity of helping out, here and there is always appreciated.
Harley and Matt managed to turn their friendship into a working one too. In fact, 2020 marked twenty years of that successful working relationship.
Harley is an undisputed asset to Webbers Cove Boatyard. His steady work ethic, keen eye, boat knowledge, and wicked sense of humor among other undeniable characteristics, make him a favorite point guy with the customers and an irreplaceable employee to Matt.
So begins the story…
In 1996, Matt acquired a wooden, double ended, Maine style rowboat made by the acclaimed, Jimmy Steele. Known as ‘Peapods’, these rowboats have distinctive, graceful lines that make them a coveted dinghy among boaters.
The rugged, well used and worn Peapod was tucked away in a storage building, not completely forgotten but enough that she stirred up feelings of guilt as a project Matt never quite had time to get around to.
But Harley had a boat crush and so reportedly spent those years muttering about the neglected Peapod and what a waste it would be to just let her go.
In the Spring of 2020, with the global pandemic at our feet and keeping everyone close to home, Matt spent time cleaning out the buildings in the boatyards. With enough time now and the need for an extra project to distract from the woes of the world, he immediately thought of the Peapod.
Matt summoned the crew to load the boat in the back of his truck to be transported home to his ‘HE’ shed. Grumbling and muttering ensued with Harley suggesting, with dismay, “I guess the lady of the house needs a new flower bed.”
Once home, the crew loaded the Peapod onto saw horses, where it would take two to gently spin her up and over and side to side countless times in the course of the next year while she underwent her surgery.
Months were spent stripping, caulking, sanding, and painting. Brass tacks replaced and brass adornments polished and shined. Even oars were refinished and painted to match the newly embellished dinghy.
Townspeople would stop in to set gaze on the pandemic project.
Finally, she was ready.
Headed into the year anniversary of the pandemic, on a dreary Saturday morning in March and a big desire among many for a glimpse of brightness in any way you could find it, ‘the lady of the house’, Anneliese, suggested they take her off the saw horses and show off her shiny new look…sure to delight Covid weary folks!
“Got 5 minutes?” Matt queried on the phone. “I want to show you something real quick”
The now refinished Peapod carefully loaded up on the trailer, they set out for the 6-mile trek. Matt slowing down to avoid mud puddles, a near impossibility in Maine in the early Spring.
Pulling up to the Slavensville residence, Matt and Anneliese got out for a quick inspection, noting with disdain a splash of mud on the starboard side before they were fervently greeted.
“Wow! What do we have here? Fancy ain’t she? Geez, new brass tacks, smooth caulked in seams…” Harley seemed smitten and impressed with the work Matt put forth. Maybe even a bit surprised?!
Matt pulled the oars out of the bed of the truck.
“Oh my, even matching oars…suitable for someone’s initials”
With Harley’s wife, Kelly and Anneliese watching the interaction from 6 feet socially distanced, Matt quickly responded to the oblivious segue.
“Well, Harley, if any one’s initials were to be put on those oars, they should be yours. Thank you for 20 years of service to the boatyard.”
No big fanfare or big fuss. Just the way these two would have it.
The ladies smiled through soft tears at the exchange of oars, the obvious bond between lifelong friends, and, for two tough guys, it even looked like they brushed away a drop or two from their eyes… (Maybe that was it…or maybe the author of this story threw that bit in for an even more sentimental reaction…who knows?!)
What is for certain is that Matt is eternally grateful for his relationship with Harley after 20 plus years and the beautiful peapod is fixed up and put into the hands of someone who can enjoy her for how she was meant to be enjoyed not used as a dreaded flower bed!
