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| www.BananaWind.us |
Boats are something more than the landsman comprehends. - William Atkin |
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Boats are like anything else. It's nice to have one for every occasion. |
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The Banana Wind was
what I considered my "traveling boat." It was a 2003
Precision 18
(HID# PCW18530J203)
that was small, light, and
easy to transport on a trailer. I could raise the mast, rig, and
launch it myself. It was the second Precision 18 I owned, the first
being Kalapana, a
1998 Precision 18
(HID# PCW18464G798),
that I
sailed 1998-2000 prior to purchasing
Banana Republican.
Although not overly spacious inside, it was comfortable enough for one person to spend a few days on. I took some extended cruises with it to islands of Lake Erie and on the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, due to movement restrictions after two hip surgeries, I was forced to sell it in 2005 because it became too difficult to maneuver around inside the cabin. |
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In the fall of 2008, I rescued a 19 ft. 1988 Seaward Fox (HID#
SYX00816E888) that had
fallen into disrepair. It has since become a restoration project
that provides me with therapy to satisfy my uncontrollable desire to
work on boats. (I ran out of things to improve on or add to the
Banana Republican.) I established a four-year project completion
date at which time I hope to be able to take advantage of an early
retirement and relocate the boat to the Florida Gulf Coast for some
sailing as a winter “snowbird”; however, after an obsessive summer
of restoration work, I expect it to be completed by mid-summer of
2010. Since it will undoubtedly be completed before my projected
retirement date, I will use it as a travel boat as I once did the
Banana Wind.
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The Banana Republican, being a 2000 Precision 21 (HID# 21265I900), was only three feet longer than the Banana Wind, but it had considerably more interior space. I purchased it new in 2000 when I sold Kalapana. Although trailerable, I didn't travel with the Banana Republican because it was a little too much work launching and retrieving it for a short-term cruise, especially when I was cruising alone. Instead, I dock the boat at my home marina and use it to sail my home waters. Most of my summer weekends between 2000 and 2010 are spent on the Banana Republican. When purchased Banana Wind 2 in 2010, I sold Banana Republican. Banana Republican featured in the August 2004 issue of Sail Magazine |
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I was set to purchase a nice 1989 Seaward 25 in the summer of 2009 as a replacement for
Banana Republican; however, the sellers sold it out from
under me. It probably proved fortunate because later on I
decided that I would prefer something slightly smaller and was
fortunate to find a nice Seaward 23 for sale in Michigan. It
will remain in storage along the shores of Lake Michigan until I can
pick it up in the spring of 2010. Ironically, this boat was
located just several miles north of the one I almost purchased in
the summer.
I wanted to find
a nice to find a
boat newer than
Banana Republican and this one fit the bill being a 2001
model. It also possesses two other features I found
attractive: wheel steering and an inboard diesel.
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Banana ????? Well . . not yet . . but someday . . . maybe. |
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