Sailing Caribbean in search of the “Perfect Ride”

In 1999 I started the search for a world cruiser that would allow for several years on the water.  This resulted in several years on a Ted Brewer designed cold-molded 56 foot pilot house ketch that I christened “Perfect Ride”.

The boat was solid. It had a 22″ x 28″ mahogany timber that ran from stem to stern and could ram cement piers (and did once when the transmission failed) with out taking a scratch.  She could sleep 11 and had three heads and a full bathtub.  She circumnavigated a few times prior to my retrofitting her and after a little polish was a trusty home for several years.

She delivered me and my friends to many excellent surf spots.  We experienced some epic adventures at times in perfect conditions and not a soul in sight.  Here is a shot of me entering the close out section at a not-so-secret spot in on Tortola, BVI.  Thank god for the excellent gifts of the ocean’s bounty.    Perfect Ride carried a good quiver and a strong dingy that found it’s way to anchor outside many an excellent session.

Inside, Perfect Ride was warm and welcoming.   With 7+ foot head room, eight foot in places, she was spacious and comfortable.  This following shot is of the Salon where the table would pull out and sit 8 very comfortably.

Above she was wide and hosted many a dance night in the anchorage.

Sailing Perfect Ride off of Antigua

Here I am standing on a dive platform, of sorts, where I made many thousands of dives in to crystal blue waters. Single handing much of my journey, often times it was enough to travel with just a genoa and the mizzen, as in this shot.

You can see land fall in the distance on the right.