There comes a time when all good things must come to an end and this is one of those times. Before I go on I need to make it clear that we are not selling Tropical Horizons rather we are selling Sparky our Newick designed Outrigger Canoe Company Summersalt 26. We've had Sparky for about 10 years now and have enjoyed her for many seasons on the Ottawa River, but now we really spend all of our boating time here on Tropical Horizons and Sparky has not seen the water in two years. I love sailing, and really enjoyed sailing Sparky so this has been a difficult decision for me but I know that she needs to be in the water and deserves to be sailed.So what kind of boat is Sparky, you ask? Well she is a very fast and nimble trimaran. For those of you reading this who may not know a trimaran is a sail boat that has a main central hull with two other hulls on each side for stability. Traditional sail boats of the single hull variety know as mono-hulls rely on the weight and depth of a keel under the hull to counteract the forces of the wind and propel the boat forward through the water. A multi-hull relies on the distance between the hulls for stability and a dagger board or smaller keels or a combination of both to transfer the energy from the sails into the water and propel the boat forward. Sparky is 26 feet long and 21 feet wide and carries approximately 550 sq. ft. of sail area, which is a lot for a boat that only weighs 1300 lbs.! Built in 1984 the design was, as with all Newicks, radical. She has a rotating mast and is made up of carbon fiber in strategic locations which was far ahead of the time for 1984. Sparky is not a cruising boat, she is fast, very fast indeed as I have had her sailing at over 27 kts. When you look at her lines, you just know that this is a special boat.
We recently had an offer on her from a British gentleman who knew Newick (who passed away in 2013). He had spoken to me over the phone one day about Sparky and was very interested in her. In fact he put in an offer to purchase her and a down payment. So, we loaded up Sparky with all of her bits and pieces as well as her sails and towed her down to Trenton where we keep Tropical Horizons. When I met this gentleman on a Friday to assemble Sparky, I was surprised that this elderly gentleman, who had obvious mobility issues, was interested in Sparky. I figured perhaps he just wanted to own a piece of nautical history as there are only 4 of these boats left in the world. We assembled Sparky and brought her over to a slip in the marina where the next morning I walked them through the mast raising process. Once the mast was raised we headed out for a test sail and the gentleman wanted to have his wife and friend sailing with him along with the broker. I did express some concern about all of the people on board and mentioned that he could have performance or passengers. He wanted both.
Newick designed many winning multi-hulls and Sparky is such a boat. To put it in terms that most of us can understand, Sparky is a "sailing Bugatti" not an "KIA". I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with a KIA but both vehicles are clearly designed for different purposes. Sparky demands your full attention when you sail her, she is very sensitive to weight distribution and you must pay attention to the wind and the sails, otherwise you will get in trouble quickly. You also need to be mobile on this boat and have a certain amount of strength and agility. I'm by no means a small guy, but I can move around quickly when needed and I have the strength and endurance needed to manage Sparky. This perspective buyer did not. So after the sea-trials when we returned to the marina slip, this gentleman stressed that he needed some time to think about the purchase. We parted ways, and as I spoke with the broker, I knew in my heart that he would not be Sparky's new owner. Three days later, he called the broker and backed out of the deal stating that Sparky was "too much boat for him to handle" I'm a little disappointed but I am sure that there is someone out there who is the right person for Sparky and that the wind will fill her sails again soon. On the bright side, I was able to sail her again and that was lots of fun.
