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all it had was a small Lüders folder with half a dozen
sheets – and zilch about Laughing Lady.”
Pam, in the meantime, was doing her own bit
of sleuthing – extrapolating clues for the probable
layout of the boat’s (missing) interior, working from
fastener holes in the frames, little bits of handrail
and a few surviving ittings.
James’ investigations took him to Gardiners
Island, where he was introduced to an elderly
mechanic at the local marina. He unearthed a photo
of Laughing Lady’s mangled props – Gardiner had run
her aground. But the image also provided valuable
details about the design of her rub rail.
James also knew that in the early 60s the New York
Times (NYT) had run an article – e Greatest Picnic
the World has ever Seen. It covered a high-society picnic
on Gardiners Island – catered for by President John
Kennedy’s personal chef, Charles De Gaulle’s personal
chef, as well as chefs from the top Michelin star
restaurants in Paris and New York. he writer was the
NYT’s food critic.
Chefs and guests had all been ferried to the island
on Laughing Lady, and James wondered what had
happened to the press photos. Weirdly, Fate dealt
him a friendly hand.
“I’d booked an AirBnB on the island, and it...every time I took
a tea-break from
my project, I’d find
myself staring at the
old launch and her
beautiful lines.U-DEK
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