 |
Site Under Construction - Last update 3/1/03 - You are visitor number ...
|
Powered by counter.bloke.com
|
|
St. Petersburg Florida was a wonderful place to grow up. Beside the balmy
semi-tropical weather, it is a great natural sailing grounds. This is evidenced
by the number of big name yacht builders located here during the Age of Fiberglass,
and further supported
by the survivors. Com-Pac, SeaPearl, Nimble and Precision are still locally built
and use the Tampa Bay and the nearby Gulf of Mexico for their proving grounds.
|
|
The Begining
|
It all started for me with a book by Robert Burgess titled
Handbook of Trailer Sailing (1st Ed) (a limited quantity still available from the author at
Spyglass Publications ( http://www.geocities.com/bobsbooks_2000/ ) ). Mr. Burgess is a knowledgable guide that helps lead the
reader through the choices and decisions facing the new boat owner. After examining the
many alternatives on the market, he selects
the popular ComPac 16 for his sailing platform ( to be towed behind his Pinto). His book then covers
basic boat ownership as well as practical owner upgrades
for safety and ease of use. The book climaxes with a sailing trip
to the Dry Tortugas!
|
|
Mr. Burgess published an updated Second Edition to his Handbook of Trailer Sailing in the early 90's
that is readily available from Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com and other bookstores. It does a nice job
addressing boats built in the late 80's. You might take a moment and examine the author's
other sport and adventure titles listed at
Spyglass Publications ( http://www.geocities.com/bobsbooks_2000/ )
The author is active on the
Yahoo ComPac Owners
Group. and still owns a ComPac 16 as well as a ComPac19.
We bought our 1984 Compac 16 in 1990 and owned her till we moved to Orlando
in 1996. She was a very forgiving teacher and a great little boat. She had a nice stable ride,
but needed a genoa for those lighter wind days.
|
|
In 1998 we started sailing again and bought a Precision 165. This nice
little shoal draft keelboat is built down in Palmetto Florida and was
the source of much fun. I have chronicled our ownership at my website
Lee's Precision 165 Page (http://www.maib1.dittybag.net )
|
|
Our Current Fleet
Our obsession with owning a SeaPearl 21 began with a data sheet in the
Handbook of Trailer Sailing. Imagine the perfect boat
built for gunk-holing in Florida...
|
- Fast, beachable, able to sail in 6" of water.
- Versatile Cat-Ketch rig allows for easy single handed sailing.
- Quick setup with self supporting masts.
- Easily towed behind smaller cars and can be beach launched!
- Still in production at Marine
Concepts aka "the Oyster Bed" in Tarpon Springs Florida. Say Hey to Jim Leet.
|
The SeaPearl 21 does all of these things. To learn more,
follow this link.
So, if a SeaPearl 21 is such a great boat, why did I buy a Slipper 17 as a second
boat? Well actually, it makes the perfect companion boat. She has ...
|
- The beautiful lines of the Seaward Fox. She makes me smile every
time I see her.
- A huge , beamy, cockpit. Great for sailing with friends or big dogs.
- A light helm and stable nature , resulting in a very relaxing ride.
- A nicely laid out cabin, and a cockpit that will hold a Queen size
air mattress when sleeping aboard.
- Shoal draft of only 19" with centerboard up. Great for thin water.
|
|
I FINALLY got a picture of Huff N Puff on the water. This photo is at the newly updated
facilities at the Gulfport Florida Municipal Marina, our favorite local ramp.
For more information about the Slipper 17, our updates and improvements, please follow
this Link
^ back to top ^
|
