Tuesday 19 August 2014

The beginning of the passion.

Many years ago, I was a typical boater, ripping around the local waters in a power boat.  Raised two kids on and off the water for many years.  We had a big 'ol stink pot.  It was great to see the kids take to the water so well.  But the natural progression for me was to a sailboat.  I looked around and found a beauty of a little Kirby 25'.  On Ne Sait Jamais.  


We sailed her from Nanaimo to Mill Bay, BC where I sailed her all around the gulf islands including Saltspring Island, Thetis Kuper, etc..  Eventually I moved her to my property in Sooke where she lives now tethered to a buoy in front of my house.  She is fast with her full race rig, fractional sloop.  The Juan De Fuca is her playground and where I slowly built my skills in the bigger water.  A bucking bronco, she is.




My sons both have become very strong sailors as they would have too, being my boys.  I hope that in the future, the seeds I have planted on the water grow to a passion in them as well.  We honed our skills for many years on Sooke Basin and the Juan De Fuca...  She rides strong and fast in the 5-8 ft swells and the directional but sometimes gusty 15-25knt wind.  The Basin offers an unbelievably nice moorage in front of my house.  Never raced her but her fractional rig and fully adjustable mast tensioning made her a great learning vessel. 




The dream continued to grow with thoughts of sailing over the horizon to far off lands.  The Kirby is too small...

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