I’m flying through Chicago on my way back to Seattle from my past two weeks of conferences in Europe (first the SQL Server Summer Academy in Croatia and second Microsoft Tech*Ed Europe) both of which were great…and after all the craziness I’m in Chicago this week – to see family/friends and check on things for the SQLskills SQL Immersion Event – which will be held in downtown Chicago in October. Having grown up in Chicago (and been away for 12+ years) I quickly remember what summers are like. Yesterday it was 86 with 100% humidity (at least it felt like it) and today it was 70 and breezy… But – October, that’s another story! October is typically an IDEAL time.
But – having complained about the weather a bit – I can’t really complain about the day! My Father is the Chicago area representative for Hunter/Dufour and works through Racine Riverside exclusively selling these wonderful yachts in the Chicagoland area. This is a job change for Dad after many years…where sailing was his main hobby/passion but certainly not his career. Anyway, that’s what led me to this post – I have sailed on many “boats” growing up but it’s been many years… and I don’t remember boats like these; these boats are NOT racers – these are cruisers – and they have every ammenity possible (and then some – for example, I never did get time to watch the flat panel TV w/DVD, etc…)
So – the “demo” boat we took out today was a Hunter 44 Aft Cockpit (2004) and it was MORE than comfortable. Easy to sail and filled with all sorts of gadgets so that even I looked like I knew what I was doing…. The features are just amazing. You just can’t NOT love an electric winch, and roller furling for BOTH the jib and the main – gotta love not having to reef the main…. Wow, what a great boat!!!! Here are a few pics of the day…
My Dad at the Helm.jpg (21.52 KB)
Nice shot of the clean lines.jpg (20.69 KB)
The city is just ahead.jpg (20.36 KB)
Kimberly at the helm.jpg (24.29 KB)
So – if you’re in the general area, would love to own a beautiful cruising yacht… talk to my Dad! He won’t believe you read it here!! (well, neither will I :)
What a nice way to end the 4th of July weekend! Back to work!! Index recommendations are coming tomorrow!
One thought on “Electric winch, roller furling, in-mast mainsail furling…. not like the boats I’ve sailed before!”
Hmm…I notice the shallow heel angle. Try taking a Hunter out in actual wind if you want to cure your enthusiasm. >=15 knots and you’re on your ear, even after full reefing. They are great sitting at the dock, though. ;-)