What's in a name?

For the name of our Passagemaker dinghy, Kathy and I agreed on Fuggles. The name has significance for us on several levels. Fuggles is the name of a variety of hops that are used to flavor several types of traditional English ales, including the ale style called India Pale Ale, or IPA. This is special, since it ties in one of my other hobbies- homebrewing. Kathy started me on the hobby during our first Christmas together, and since then, I have won a few awards with my brews, and had lots of fun along the way. Fuggles was christened with a splash, not of traditional Champaign, but of an IPA from Portland, Maine. Although Fuggles was built in Alabama from a kit made by a Maryland company from wood grown in Africa, the spiritual home of all wooden boats must be Maine. The state is home to many shipyards that craft fine sailing and motor vessels of wood using traditional techniques. Also, the famed Wooden Boat School is located in Maine, and is instrumental in preserving the skills needed in the building and maintaining of beautiful wooden boats of every type.

It is immensely satisfying to sail in a boat one builds himself. May Fuggles sail safely for many years to come.