Dead Calm
One of the reasons power boaters love the Bahamas in summer is because the wind is zero. This is heaven for power boaters because they can speed up and comfortably reach their destinations before dark. I mean they love it! We know because we used to do this every summer for 15 years. When the wind would blow it was miserable. Our weather windows were waiting for calms. How things have changed! When you sail, you chase the wind. You look for fronts and lows and ride the edge of squalls when available. You see… our fuel doesn’t come from a tank it comes from the isobar lines and pressure gradients which create the falling of air between them that we call WIND! Lennie and I expected to be motoring around all summer but we were pleasantly surprised. All the tropical instability created lots of wind and we used it all. We had countless days of great sailing which helped Happy Together with her shakedown of the rig and sails. Lennie calls this “the luck of Randy Smith” but I call it Sail On!
25T
I don’t know who created the need for the word ton. Its 2,000 lbs. Why don’t we say the pounds every time. Its easier because whenever someone quotes tons I have to do math. Our new Happy Together is 50,000 Pounds and I was afraid she wouldn’t sail as good as the 48. Fear subsided as we sailed around the Bahamas this summer. Not only does this big heavy boat sail but she sails like a nimble day sailor. We reached and ran and pointed. We tested all the sails and in all kinds of wind. I have to hand it to the architect, Alex Simonis, who told me not to worry as he “designs sailboats to sail “ (heavy Dutch accent on that one).
You might have guessed
I know I don’t have to tell you what you are going to see in this video since the name says it all, but I want to see if you notice the smiles that you can’t peal off our faces.
Jeff Falk
Great stuff guys!!! Every time I watch the new video it give me such pleasure to see you truly enjoying the sea. Keep it up!! Hopefully meet soon.
Jeff
happytogether
Hi Jeff,
Thanks so much! Glad you are enjoying the show!
Randy
Scott Dulieu
I have been drooling over this leopard as a future contender after the kids leave school. Lovely to have some one shake it down for the rest of us to see and learn. I was wondering if you could have the lounge with the performance rig. The thought of not being able to reach the boom when (and it always dose) things are choppy and you need to is quite insane. A little more of the sail trimming and handling would be nice to see.
Scott
happytogether
Hi Scott, Glad you are getting value out of these videos. I am not sure but I think they are considering doing just that. Performance rig with lounge and removable backrest. I will try to focus on sail trim in future videos. Randy
Trev
The new leopard looks amazing, and so nice to see the two of your enjoying it. Thank you for sharing your story, it is inspirational….and I think the videos are, slowly, convincing my wife.
happytogether
Hi Trev, May people tell us our show is a wife clincher. I hope it works!!!! It aint camping its the four seasons on a cat! Randy