I thought this perfectly captured the spirit of a New England summer, as our neighbors in Jamestown are selling their Dyer Dinghy, proudly presented on their front lawn. The petite vessel would make for a fun picnic sail! See more for sale, here.
Steele Point Estate
I was poking around online looking at private islands for sale (why not?) and found the above. I recognized it immediately. I distinctly remember sailing around Steele Point in the BVI with my family and being enchanted by this home. It reminded me of Swiss Family Robinson with all of the stairs and disjointed structures in the midst of lush greenery. We had a great southerly breeze that day and we ended up anchoring around the leeward side of the island that evening, snorkeling nearby the next morning. To download the electronic edition of the Private Island magazine, visit here.
The (Frozen) Ocean State
This just in: a snowy scene from my hometown, good old Ida in all her winter glory. Dare I say, this photograph makes me a little lonesome for the ocean state.
Salty's Got Game
Sometimes when you see your parents or grandparents in their mature ages, you forget that at one point in their lives, they were young, vivacious, athletically ambitious and fierce. They were, to a degree, versions of your current self in what might feel like a distant lifetime ago.
Living in the Newport area, it's no surprise when you visit friends' and neighbors' homes that they are dusted with some sort of silver dish or plaque from a sailing regatta in our local waters. My house is no different. Silver, pewter and various shades of mahogany and teak are scattered around our house that remind us of my Father's triumphs on the water. From champagne buckets to punch bowls, to catch-alls and odd figures and frames, they truly come in all forms. I've even smuggled a few of these out to San Francisco with me.
Over the holiday, my Father and I pulled out boxes upon boxes of his sailing trophies to reminisce on his glory days. As my Dad enthusiastically rattled on about the time his J-24 was on the cover of Sail Magazine in '79 and the week he spent with Dennis Connor and the Freedom team tuning up before the America's Cup in '74, I was reminded that my Father had it all happening. In my opinion, the best part of his adventures on the race course back in the day, was his ability to reflect on them in the present, 30 years later with his daughter he taught how to sail.
Above: A quick snapshot of some of Salty's trophies in all shapes and sizes, including signature beer cans from the 1974 America's Cup in Newport, Rhode Island.
The Sea Lovers
Love this photograph of Italian architect Signor Giorgio Biusos, his wife Rita and children Guendaline, Ferdinando, baby Marta and Ursula. Their classic style ketch appropriately named Chérie (which translates to "dear"), stretches her sea legs just north of Rome on the rocky coast. I particularly love how this photograph exudes such vitality, mild disarray as each subject portrays a varied expression, yet beautifully harmonious in sentiment. Not much is known about this photograph, other than the fact that it was captured by the iconic John Cowan in the 60's. There of course, is also the caption that accompanies the photograph just to the right. The last bit reads: "Able to come and go as they please, cooled by the breezes at sea, shaded in port by an awning over the deck, the Biusos are self-contained, self-sufficient in their happy family life; happy, healthy, attractive, good-humored, enjoying their boat and each other."
Joie de vivre if you ask me!