I have to admit, I was always a little envious of those ''macho'' crewmembers who got to sail on the ABACO RAGE. When the opportunity presented itself to me, I jumped at the chance. WOW! Here was an '' outsider'', given a chance by none other than ''Superman'' Stafford Patterson himself!! After 2 days of crewing in the Hope Town Cup, my lust remains strong; I hope I've done my crewmates proud. The Rage is a true dinosaur. Magnificent, yet obsolete. A time capsule, even if only 31 years. Hopelessly overpowered and labor intensive, yet majestic and awe inspiring. There is a saying that there is no substitute for cubic inches and the Rage wrote the book. The boom is 37 feet long, overhanging the transom by 17 feet, on a boat just 28 feet long! Absurdly slow compared to a modern racing sailboat, the Rage begs for compassion and forgiveness, although she'll be the last to reciprocate. No winches and the only electronics are to keep the bilge pumped. She is sailed by the seat of your pants, she demands your full attention, and you will pay if you don't comply. I loved every minute. I don't know what the future holds for this magnificent beast, but I hope others get to check-off another experience on their bucket list, with an invitation to sail on the Abaco Rage.
However, these pictures give the "getting high" part a whole new meaning! Yes, that's definitely Dave rising to the top!
How do you get up there? ANd how do you get down? Are you in a sling?
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