The Dream II

OK, it's 2003.  And right on schedule, here we are buying a boat.  And not just any boat, an honest-to-god Westsail 32.

     Jane and I traveled from our home in Manassas, VA to a Westsail rendezvous near Cape Canaveral, FL. There were met a wonderful group of people.  Carroll and Dave put on a great event.  For 3 days Jane and I wondered over Westsails, sailed on Westsails, and talked and listened to tales of Westsails. 

    Of note was our meeting with Bud Taplin, the godfather of Westsails.  I had spent so many hours at his web site I felt I knew him.

    Also, we had the great good fortune of meeting Sterling and Pat Walker;  two of the nicest people we have met in quite some time.  Their Westsail 32, Sea Angel, was undergoing a significant refit at the time.

     Our trip to Florida included visits with a few Westsails that were for sale.  These included C'est La Vie, Peregrina, Vinegaroon, and Salty Dog.

    We bought Vinegaroon.   But before I talk about our boat, I have to say that Salty Dog, owned by Don and Teri, is by far the prettiest Westsail I have ever seen.  Even just a little nicer than Bill and Donna's Honey (WS-28).

    The name Vinegaroon refers to a large Mexican scorpion.  I don't know why Bob Clayton, the previous owner,   named it that.  Possibly because the hull (#511) was laid-up in November of 1975 so, like me, it's a Scorpio.  Louis Snedden, who owned it before Bob, had named it Silent Lady.

    Vinegaroon is a standard Westsail 32.  One exception is the main saloon.  Instead of the dinette layout (which I really like) it has a center-line table with drop-leafs on port and starboard.   What decided the selection of Vinegaroon?  Well, a couple of things.   First, the only other real choice that presented itself was Salty Dog.  And I could just hear the other members of the Westsail Owners Group saying something like, "Yes, it was a very pretty boat until they got hold of it."  I wanted a boat I could really use.  Something I could sail around the world (or more practically, to the Caribbean) without worrying about scratching the caprail.  And Vinegaroon had a lot of equipment that I think I need.  Things like an anchor winch (a Simpson-Lawrence 555 manual), a wind vane for steering (Aries) and a stout aluminum dingy with sailing rig.

    So without further ado, I present our boat, the Sailing Vessel Vinegaroon.

Vinegaroon has a striking dark green hull with a cream-colored deck. The dingy has complimentary coloring.