Living aboard Sophia
This afternoon, while out for my daily lunchtime walk along the waterfront in Toronto, I spotted the familiar keyhole shape of a Contessa 26 companionway. As I approached the boat, her skipper, Paul Kestle came up into the cockpit and we had a conversation.
Paul has been living on his Contessa 26, Sophia, for the last several years, including winters. He spends his summers hanging off the hook in many places in and around the GTA, and winters at one of several different marinas. This year, he says Sophia is being hauled out for a refit and paint job.
Paul has extreme confidence in the seakeeping capabilities of Sophia, and reports having been out in 5m waves without feeling like the boat couldn’t handle it.
He’s hoping to meet up with the Lake Ontario Contessa 26 Association (working title) at some point in the future.
Comment on this in the forums.
Lake Ontario Contessa 26 Meetup at ABYC, September 8, 2012 24th America's Cup - AC72