Paul Gauguin - Martinique

[dennis]

She's absolutely beautiful

Much better than the Mirror Dinghy that I built and used to sail. Had great times in her. My youngest daughter would not sail with me unless the waves were high and then she insisted on sitting on the bow - upset the balance of the boat and had a hard time sailing and tacking (and trying to keep it upright) as a result of it

After that I graduated to a windsurfer - flabbergasted the youngsters when they saw this old man with the white beard gunning it in the strong wind

[Val]

Must have thought Father Christmas was on vacation! 
When I was 8 I used to go down to the docks in the bay and hitchhike for rides on sailboats... my mum only found out about that a few years ago. 
My girlfriend's dad built a lovely little 16' daysailor with a cuddy cabin. He'd take us out sailing around the bay. One day we asked if we could take it out ourselves. He said yes, as long as we stayed inside the bay. 'Of course we will' .....before he left the parking lot we were through the gap and out in Lake Ontario. Fantastic! Coo did we cop it when we got back! I was 8, she was 10.  Partners in crime!
My son went to sailing school when he was 10. Had the proud distinction of being the first student to flip a lazer, and get the mast stuck in the mud...looked like an odd shaped umbrella! Had to be bumped up with the older kids as he was forever racing off to see how fast he could go and funny enough dumping more than any of the other kids. They thought he should be bumped up and taught to right it. Wonder where he got that from? 
Poor Lloyd didn't know what he was in for when he met me...he'd never been on a sailboat before! I knew there was a sailor inside just dying to be let out...he just didn't know it yet! 

[dennis]

Talk about Lloyd being an army volunteer

One day I was too relaxed and forgot to read the water and did not see the squall coming and before I knew it the boom came around and hit me on the side of my head (I was never without a life jacket). It hit me so hard that the steel of my glasses actually cut into my skin and drew blood.

 I viewed the best planetarium in the world at that moment 

[nolan]

Your boat is absolutely awesome Val 

At least now we know where Dennis his knock on the head from     

PS - to the site Sara, tell us a bit more about what medium you paint in, what subjects you like to paint, etc. We're a  bunch here 

[Val]

Many years ago we were caught out in squalls and big seas. Me being the daring one, tied the jibsheet 'round me and went forward to reef the staysail. Big gust, rolled on a breaking wave, I was knocked down and the staysail boom clipped me in the side of the head and cracked a tooth. Just glad it wasn't the main! 
Now with the cat...we just sail on the level! 

[nolan]

 

[Val]

  Cheeky monkey!