Dreaming and Planning

The Vertue Sailboats

I've always called our daughter Tana, "the reader". Like her Mom, she always has a novel going. During middle school and early high school her favorites were anything fantasy, and occasionally science fiction.

Alan was no less a reader, but his book titles always began with "How to....". He was home from school this weekend to work on the sailboat, and he had with him a book borrowed from the school library. Not too surprising now, to see what he is reading.

Last June, while driving to Missouri on our way to race in the Missouri River MR340, we made a quick stop to check out some books on tape for the long ride. We picked out a book called "My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail around Cape Horn", by David Hays and Daniel Hays. We thoroughly enjoyed the story, and have talked about it often since.

Quite taken by the description of the sailboat they sailed, a 25 ft Sloop, the Vertue, Alan has since read a good bit about this boat, no longer available new, but with quite a loyal following, and occasionally for sale used. This morning Alan told me there was one available for $13,000. the Vertue is an ocean going sailboat, that can be sailed on long expeditions solo, and has a reputation for handling all kinds of weather.

I know Alan dreams and plans that one day he will own a boat like the Vertue, and sail it around the world. And he has been raised to have dreams and goals, and that they can come true.

His current book. It's called "Vertue XXXV" by Humphrey Barton. Written when the author was on a voyage from Lymington (Hampshire, England) to New York. Barton finishes his preface with "So far as I can see there is not the slightest reason why two people should not cruise round the world in such a yacht. I hope it is only a matter of time before such a voyage is successfully accomplished".

I expect this has already been done, the book was written in 1950. But I also won't be surprised if it isn't done again sometime very soon :).

Sailing Alone Around the World...and other books you MUST reread... is a thread on the WoodenBoat forum. There is some great recommended reading here.