Winter Goodies

A change in career for my dad brought with it some going away gifts this winter. A group of generous and loving souls pitched in to throw my parents a fantastic going away party and raised enough money to give them some pretty incredible gifts. When spring arrives, Ariel will be fitted out with a dodger, a Dickinson solid fuel heater, a Weems and Plath lantern, and a drifter.
What a fantastic group of friends!


Dickinson Solid Fuel Heater with DP exhaust cap.


Weems and Plath Kerosene Yacht Lamp

Strictly Sail Chicago

Strictly Sail was there for us during our first winter with Ariel, and now, four years later, the show still provides the mid-winter fix we so desperately need. We must be less needy now than we were four years ago, however, since the only thing we bought was a renewal to my Good Old Boat subscription - oh yeah, and a $20 snack for lunch!
Jake accompanied the boys on this trip. The weather in SW Michigan was brutal, blowing snow and very limited visibility, but we made it there and back in one piece.
The highlight of the trip was meeting Karen Larson, one of the editors of Good Old Boat magazine, a top-notch publication for real sailors. We ate lunch together and enjoyed Karen's down-to-earth personality while some Latitudes and Attitudes band clamored away in the not-so-background.


Grandpa and Jake wait for the doors to open.


This is as close as Jake will get to a Fatty Knees of his own.