Why Forty Two

(Pictured: our beautiful boat)

Why Forty Two?

When we bought the boat, it was registered in Delaware. Nothing against our American friends but we wanted a Canadian boat so we could fly the Canadian Flag. So the adventure of registering in Canada began. It took many weeks, and there were many iterations with Transport Canada Registrars and a tonnage expert, but we were successful!

One of the requirements of registration is to submit three name choices. Forty Two was the name we were allowed to use. 

So inevitably, we are asked often, “Why Forty Two?”

It is simple, Forty Two is the answer to life, the universe, and everything. When Sheila was but a young thing, CBC radio played the BBC series “Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. For once, her Dad didn’t have to drag her out of bed in the morning. She’d jump up to listen. This show awakened a life long love of science fiction/fantasy literature (the love of silliness was already well established).

In the series, a group of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings build a supercomputer, Deep Thought, to find “the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything”. After 7.5 million years of computing…it produced the answer….42.

So when we needed to rename the boat to register it in Canada, somehow, taking a year away from our “usual” lives the answer 42 seemed appropriate!

If you decide to read the book (much better than any movie or TV series made), you will learn that “There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory mentioned, which states that this has already happened”

So friends, we are on a journey of discovery and we will let you know if being on a boat for several months brings one any closer to the answer to life, the universe, and everything (we suspect it has something to do with home being the best place while enjoying the company of great friends and family while sharing a meal).