Alizee, projects and Southwinds Magazine ...

The last few weeks Alizee has been at Sailor's Wharf boatyard getting and ten-year check up and having some minor repairs completed.  Meanwhile, I've been in the garage varnishing the cockpit table and cup holder, which were getting pretty worn, as well as making some wine storage boxes from some teak that Penelope's deceased husband Bill had squirreled away in the garage.  I'm not much of a wood worker, but creating something of your own design is a pleasant way to spend time.  

I know that I would have loved Bill.  He was a sailor, lover of British comedy, guitar player and all around good fellow.  It almost seems uncanny, but Bill had a Venture 21 (built by MacGregor) at one time, and a Venture 21 was my first boat back in the early 1970s.  Bill also owned an Islander Bahama 30, Will R B Dan *#$&!, almost a sister ship to my Islander Bahama 28 Dog Days.  When Penelope came aboard Dog Days on her first trip to see me in California the end of 2008, she literally wept at the familiarity of being again on an Islander Bahama.  Anyway, I'm not just amazed at these similarities but grateful to Bill for leaving behind some useful tools and the unfinished teak with which I am now able to dabble.

Another activity of mine when not aboard Alizee is writing about sailing.  If you're a reader of this blog, you know that recently I had a review of Dog Days published in Cruising World Magazine in the fall and an article just published in Sail magazine.  I am happy to say, Southwinds Magazine, just published my owner's review "Alizee, 2001 Cabo Rico 36" in its February 2012 issue (pp. 49-51).  You can read the entire article on-line or download a pdf file of the magazine issue for free.  Many thanks to Fraser Smith, CEO of Cabo Rico Yachts for going over it before publication.