I am reminded (by the bell on the sailboats) of a book I have had since childhood: The Swans of Ballycastle. It is magical to read of another bell near another bay!
I happen to sail an old GP14, a Series 1 built in 1964. In another year she will be 60 years old. It's always fun to see her ilk mentioned in a story, especially as Holt's little jeep is not well known in the US. I have used her for cruising and I am just thin enough to sleep down one side of the centreboard case and under the thwart, though turning over requires work and contortions not well suited to a good night's rest. No amount of losing weight will help that, my hips get in the way.
Excellent article, Keith. I've read and reread Grayson's book, and there's a lot of useful meat in it. The good news is that you can still find a copy from Amazon's used book sellers. My copy apparently came from a public library -- their loss, my gain!
I was formerly the Secretary/Treasurer of the Cherokee Lake Sailing Club sailing (surprisingly) on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City TN. It was a very laid back club. The average sized boat was 22ft and heavily on Catalina 22's. I took great pride in having the smallest boat in the fleet. I was the proud skipper of the 16 foot AMF Sunbird. Although we had races several times a month from May to October we never kept score, awarded prizes or even followed the rules very closely. It was a fun club and as one skipper once said "We are a sailing club, not a racing club or a yacht club. I enjoyed it immensely. Alas, for the last year I have been bound to the land as a boatless person. I have always liked small boats, cheaper to operate, easier to maintain and sail and if done right just as comfortable on overnighters as those behemoth 22 footers
Unfortunately health issues keeps me off the water although I have considered getting a kayak to putter around Harris Lake in nearby Leesburg Florida
In Florida I’m a member of the Ocala Sailing Club, https://www.ocalasailingclub.org/. They sail primarily on Lake Weir. They have a fall and a spring reach series. The fall racing includes an around-the-lake race. Great group of folks with lots of social activities. They also host the (Boston Whaler) Harpoon nationals in the spring.
In Maine this summer I helped organize Sebago Lake Sailing, https://www.sebagolakesailing.org/. It was primarily formed to run the Around Frye Island race. But we are looking at doing some other fun races and maybe some buoy racing.
Garden Bay Sailing Club in Pender Harbour, coastal BC. Mostly a keelboat casual racing club with boats ranging from 20 to 50 feet all racing under PHRF. Our moto is GBSC, where the racing is fun. And it is! We regularly have a dozen or more boats out every weekend, year around. I keep suggesting that some smaller boats could be fun but it’s hard to argue with the success of the club, especially in a small town.
May I pat myself on the back? My book THE WORLD'S WORST SAILOR can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Dinghy sailors, please forgive my ineptitude.
I belong to the Shellback Club in Toronto. It is a non-sailing club for sailors. Basically it is a lunch club for sailors while their boats (dinghys and others) are on the hard. In Toronto that means we meet weekly to have a lunch and a speaker from October to April. It has been going strong since 1934. 90 years without a capsize.
Great article, Keith.
I am reminded (by the bell on the sailboats) of a book I have had since childhood: The Swans of Ballycastle. It is magical to read of another bell near another bay!
I happen to sail an old GP14, a Series 1 built in 1964. In another year she will be 60 years old. It's always fun to see her ilk mentioned in a story, especially as Holt's little jeep is not well known in the US. I have used her for cruising and I am just thin enough to sleep down one side of the centreboard case and under the thwart, though turning over requires work and contortions not well suited to a good night's rest. No amount of losing weight will help that, my hips get in the way.
Excellent article, Keith. I've read and reread Grayson's book, and there's a lot of useful meat in it. The good news is that you can still find a copy from Amazon's used book sellers. My copy apparently came from a public library -- their loss, my gain!
What an inspiring article!
I was formerly the Secretary/Treasurer of the Cherokee Lake Sailing Club sailing (surprisingly) on Cherokee Lake in Jefferson City TN. It was a very laid back club. The average sized boat was 22ft and heavily on Catalina 22's. I took great pride in having the smallest boat in the fleet. I was the proud skipper of the 16 foot AMF Sunbird. Although we had races several times a month from May to October we never kept score, awarded prizes or even followed the rules very closely. It was a fun club and as one skipper once said "We are a sailing club, not a racing club or a yacht club. I enjoyed it immensely. Alas, for the last year I have been bound to the land as a boatless person. I have always liked small boats, cheaper to operate, easier to maintain and sail and if done right just as comfortable on overnighters as those behemoth 22 footers
Unfortunately health issues keeps me off the water although I have considered getting a kayak to putter around Harris Lake in nearby Leesburg Florida
Texas 200 Sailing Club www.Texas200.com
We have one event every year in June and sail from Port Isabel near the Mexico border to Magnolia Beach, Calhoun County.
In Florida I’m a member of the Ocala Sailing Club, https://www.ocalasailingclub.org/. They sail primarily on Lake Weir. They have a fall and a spring reach series. The fall racing includes an around-the-lake race. Great group of folks with lots of social activities. They also host the (Boston Whaler) Harpoon nationals in the spring.
In Maine this summer I helped organize Sebago Lake Sailing, https://www.sebagolakesailing.org/. It was primarily formed to run the Around Frye Island race. But we are looking at doing some other fun races and maybe some buoy racing.
Garden Bay Sailing Club in Pender Harbour, coastal BC. Mostly a keelboat casual racing club with boats ranging from 20 to 50 feet all racing under PHRF. Our moto is GBSC, where the racing is fun. And it is! We regularly have a dozen or more boats out every weekend, year around. I keep suggesting that some smaller boats could be fun but it’s hard to argue with the success of the club, especially in a small town.
May I pat myself on the back? My book THE WORLD'S WORST SAILOR can be purchased on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Dinghy sailors, please forgive my ineptitude.
I belong to the Shellback Club in Toronto. It is a non-sailing club for sailors. Basically it is a lunch club for sailors while their boats (dinghys and others) are on the hard. In Toronto that means we meet weekly to have a lunch and a speaker from October to April. It has been going strong since 1934. 90 years without a capsize.