Son of a Son of a Sailor

This is a replica of an 1889 Herreshoff Coquina sailboat.  Nathanael Greene Herreshoff was best known as a very innovative sailboat designer and for producing a long successive string of winning America's Cup sailboats between 1893-1920.  The Coquina was his personal sailboat.  My dad built this Coquina replica, all by hand, including the wooden masts and booms.  It took him three years to build it - he estimates he spent an average of 4 hours per day, 5 days per week, and 10 months per year out of those three years.  He named it the "Dandy".  A friend was happening by the docks and asked what kind of boat it was.  Dad yelled back, "It's a Dandy!"

I grew up crewing with my dad in one design (Tanzer, then Flying Scots) dinghy sailboat races in NC.  That's how I eventually got into windsurfing.  One of my sons and I went out last weekend for a sail with my dad in the Dandy.   It was a perfect mild winter day for sailing - sunny and 10mph+ breeze.  With acknowledgements to Jimmy Buffett, this makes my sons a son of a son of a sailor...

It sails real nice - I love the way the water flowed out the back...very similar to how water flows out the back of a SUP race board.

Yes, you can even stand up paddle it!

As the son of a son of a sailor
I went out on the sea for adventure
Expanding the view of the captain and crew
Like a man just released from indenture

As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin man
I have chalked up many a mile
Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks
And I learned much from both of their styles

Chorus:
Son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
Son of a gun, load the last ton
One step ahead of the jailer

Now away in the near future
Southeast of disorder
You can shake the hand of the mango man
As he greats you at the border

And the lady she hails from trinidad
Island of the spices
Salt for your meat, and cinnamon sweet
And the rum is for all your good vices

Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind
That our forefathers harnessed before us
Hear the bells ring as the tight rigging sings
Its a son of a gun of a chorus

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends
If I knew I might toss out my anchor
So I cruise along always searchin for songs
Not a lawyer a thief or a banker

But a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
Son of a gun, load the last ton
One step ahead of the jailer

Im just a son of a son, son of a son
Son of a son of a sailor
The seas in my veins, my tradition remains
Im just glad I don't live in a trailer