previous boats?????????????

[Amgine]

Oh dear, this may cause my reputation to suffer...

My "first" boat was an el Toro. But not just any el Toro, but a fibreglass one, sail #49 or 149, I don't remember which. I think it would be fair to say I sailed it injudiciously, breaking the mast off in Port Madison Bay (it was a rough beat back to Jefferson Point from Suquamish), and ripping the deck off three times (but proving that given enough wind the boat *will* plane, and even become airborn off waves, but has an unfortunate tendency to submarine...)

The second was a ferrocrete gaff catboat with full keel. Mighty comfy for 18' of rock. The best light-air boat I've ever owned, though I have no clue why, sailed through a flotilla of lasers in less than 2kt calms.

Third was a skipper 21, a fun little boat which panted in any kind of waves and made nearly the same leeway as forward when trying to beat. It was great to sail on the Mississippi river, as it drew less than 24", so when we went aground I jumped over and pushed off. (Someone somewhere has a great picture of me setting the anchor by hand in very shallow backwater...)

Now I have a Cape Dory 25D.

[Captain Smollett]

ripping the deck off three times (but proving that given enough wind the boat *will* plane

;D ;D ;D

[Amgine]

That's not as crazy as it looks in print... remember, it's an 8' sailing pram, with about a 2' deck serving as the mast partner.

Okay, maybe it really is pretty crazy.