GRAFTON - Eighty-year-old Del Garner has shown a person is never too old to go on a long adventure on a famed ship.
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Garner, a Decatur resident, has served as a deck hand on the Pinta replica for the past eight months. This is his last stop with the Pinta and Nina, while the two boats remain docked in Grafton for tourists to see.
"It has been very enjoyable," Garner said. "I have learned a lot about ships and sailing. I had never lived on the water before."
Through his lifetime, Garner had always wanted to go up and down the Mississippi and Illinois River and this position has afforded him the chance to do both.
After Garner retired, he was looking for something to do and he ran across the ships in Alabama, toured them in 2013, and eventually he applied and was taken as a deck hand. He has never looked back since his start and he said he has loved his adventure.
He said he was a little sad this would be his last stop, but he was thankful he was getting off in the old river town - Grafton. He was recently married and said he can't wait to spend time with his new wife in Decatur once he leaves the decks of the two ships.
The Nina and Pinta ship replicas will be docked in front of the Loading Dock Restaurant at 401 Front St. in Grafton until Aug. 16. The two arrived in Grafton on Aug. 7 and are open for tours during the day.
