The ultimate sailboat -- the ultimate mural?

Written By Buffy Farley

Ask any seasoned sailor this loaded question: "What is your favorite sailboat of all time?"

Then, grab a beverage, and a comfortable chair. You are about to hear some amazing nautical tales of sailboats past and sailboats to come. 

As for me? I saw the ultimate sailboat in a small movie theater in 1990. It was in the movie "Joe Versus the Volcano. Now that movie is worthy of a News Article in and of itself. The part that took my breath away was when Joe set sail on the Tweedledee. The scene shows the boat under full sail. It was shot from a helicopter, and it sent chills up my back. The beauty of that sailboat is like no other I've ever seen. Just to make sure I'm not remembering it with the embellishment of fond memory, I watched it again last night. Chills again. Right up both arms and the back of my neck.

I've always wondered where they found that gorgeous sailboat, and even wondered if it might have been a model sailboat with Hollywood magic to make it seem real. 

No longer helping Joe with his jump into the volcano, the Spike Africa (aka Tweedledee) is available for charter in the San Juan Islands.

Then, a year ago I was waiting for a ferry in Friday Harbor Washington, a small town located on San Juan Island in the 172-island archipelago in the northwest corner of Washington State. The ferry was not due for another half hour when I noticed a very cool looking schooner. When I got a better view from the dock, I thought it looked very familiar.

You can guess the rest. It was indeed the Tweedledee from the movie, but its real name is Spike Africa. And, to my delight, they take passengers for a few hours on a regular basis.

So very soon my wife Linda and I will board the Spike Africa and even help sail her. An ultimate getaway, to be sure. 

Take a good look at her. Could this sea-going beauty become a great mural? Above is also a quick video of Spike Africa in a sailboat race. She passes by the camera lens at 0:06 through 0:27. It doesn't capture the majesty of the sailboat, but I may revisit this topic with a video of my own. Stay tuned!

So what is YOUR ultimate sailboat? Drop me an email, text, or a phone call. I'd love to hear your ideas!

--Skipper Steve, Info@nauticalwalls.com, (801) 989-8083

Buffy Farley

  "Skipper" Steve Morris has been sailing for more than 45 years. Whenever Skipper's sailor friends used to talk about their sailing adventures, it was not unusual for them to grab a chart, unroll it to a certain island or waterway, and tell a story of what happened during a particular voyage. As Skipper realized that nautical charts are used for navigating stories as well as passageways, the idea of nautical chart murals came naturally. What better place to tell a tale of the sea than in one's own home or office than with a beautiful nautical chart mural as the visual aid!

   In 2013, he moved to the Coeur d'Alene area of Northern Idaho with his wife Linda. When Skipper is not working on murals, you can find him sailing his Erickson 27' on Lake Coeur d’Alene.

   He continues to design custom-made wallpaper from nautical charts, satellite photos, topographical maps and favorite photos.

http://nauticalchartwallpaper.com
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