Searching for the “perfect boat”
08/08/2011 11:39 by Thorsten Böhnke
The search for a boat for the Pacific continues. In the past months I have looked at many different boats, from 10 meter production boat, through 14 meter home-built boats to solid 16 meter steel cutters.
During my search I've learned a lot. First I learned that the perfect boat doesn't exist. So many, partly contradictory factors play a role, hence a boat will always be a compromise. For example, when you're stuck with light wind, you would prefer a light, fast boat, while with increasing sea state a slim heavy boat is more comfortable. For life on board, a large boat is nice, but for maintenance a small one.
Another option for a boat, probably at the lower end of the price range.
As a result, you need to set your own priorities. My search has taken me from Martinique via St. Lucia to Trinidad & Tobago, and then northward again to Grenada and Carriacou. By now I already have a few hot candidates...
In Grenada I met my old companion Mirek Lewinski, the owner and skipper of the “Ulysses”. He arranged for me to sail along on the 15 meter two-master “Tinker Toy”. “Tinker Toy”, a boat designed by Ted Brewer, lead a miserable existence in Florida, for several years. She was eventually impounded and sold. The new owner from Argentina brought her back to working order and is now on his way to Buenos Aires.
I sailed back to Trinidad on “Tinker Toy”.
“Tinker Toy” in the harbour of St. George's, Grenada.