Not a super yacht but interesting. A 45' Haitain sloop which carried at least 130 to Provo Turks and Caicos a couple of months ago.
Hi, Nice pics, I saw one in first few days of 2000 in Georgetown that looked similar but it's sail was made of Gas Station and Coca Cola banners. It was loading old fridges and TV's etc right off the beach next to the dock. It also was surprising how well it sailed away once the rock used as an anchor was up and the thing that doubled for a sail was hoisted she slipped away really well to the south.
Many of these Carribean and West Indian Traders are based on French, English, Spanish and Portugese cutters and sloops brought over from Europe 250 years ago. They sail like witches with the right breeze. They are still built all over the region, the best ones I have seen are built in Bequia in the Grenadines. Two of them still race out of Antigua, Summer Breeze and Summer Wind and can embarress many a modern yacht on the race course. The late Eddie Baretto and Charles Hamilton (Grunge gituarist)raced them and are both up for sale.
One of the last times I was in the T&Cs one of those capsized while being towed by the T&Cs defense force/coast guard and sadly many of the passengers drowned and/or ended up as shark food. I only know this because there was a USCG helo on the scene that would not use the word "shark" on the radio. Instead they would only comment on the large dangerous marine animals in the area "feeding". As K1W1 mentions, you see a lot of them in the Exumas. Many wrecked after they have unloaded their human cargo. In fact I have a blue and white striped tiller arm from one of the wrecks hanging in my house.
there was one like that, maybe just a little bigger, that made it on to the flats in Bisc. Bay,jsut south of Miami, around april. it was aground for a few weeks before being torn up and removed. it was quite a sight. I'll have to find the pictures... incredible how they use rags and old canvas bags and any piece of rope they can find, and actually sail these things.
Fish, Kiwi AND Soundbounder! Hi guys, just thought I'd note that her sail colours are from the main tarpaulin covers and advertising hoardings in Haiti, saw that when I took a week down there some time back. What a place. Couldn't get out fast enogh back in the 70''s... Beautiful girls though. Beautiful boat too, wouldn't mind grabbing the helm on her for a while...Looks fast.
