As of March 2016, I officially have more than one keelboat, so I suppose I have a fleet.

The Monty

My first keelboat was purhcased in August of 2013, the same year I caught the sailing bug. She is a older model Montgomery 17 from 1979, hull number 301.

I've never much liked the printed name, No Worries, mainly because I'm a chronic worrier, and so I worried about her incessently for the first few years ( now I worry incessently about my other boat ), which is why I usually call her "the Monty". I want to find a better name for her some day. Obviously, this little 1500 pounder isn't registered with the Coast Guard, so I suppose the name isn't official, anyway.

When I bought her in 2013, I had very little idea what I was doing. I head read The Complete Sailor by David Seidman, and I had sailed a bit with the Twin Cities Sailing Club and taken a few classes at theLake Calhoun Sailing School, but was still a complete novice. However, this boat's been good to me, and I know her well now.

Sanctuary

In March of 1980, S2 Yachts of Holland, Michigan built a 26 foot cruiser/racer of 4600 pounds displacement, the 246th one of her kind. 36 years later, I bought Sanctuary from at least a 3rd owner. I don't know her history.

The boat features an inboard saildrive-style engine, with a Volvo penta lower unit and a 12 horsepower Honda 4 stroke engine. It's sloop rigged, of course, and I currently have the big 135% genoa on the roller furler. It also includes a smaller jib and a spinnacker in the sail inventory, though I have yet to try either at the time of writing.

One of the reasons I bought the boat was that was able to store it at the previous owner's house in Stillwater, MN until spring and sublet his slip in the Apostle Islands, in Lake superior, which is the biggest water I live anywhere near. Being on the big lake is awesome; though I have yet to venture more than 30 miles from my slip, I'm quite excited to explore and increase my skills in waters that will help me to develop my skills in navigation, seamanship, and - of course - sailing.

I'm still getting to know her, but I'm optimistic. The second time I sailed her, I managed, on a close reach, to trim her well enough to take my hand off the tiller; she was well enough balanced that she sailed herself while I meandered about the deck. In August 2016 I found myself out in Force 6 conditions and the boat did pretty admirably; under a double reef and a scrap of jib she plowed her way to weather at hull speed, galloping over the intimidating waves as wind whistled in the wires. So far, she's done pretty well.