After Hurricane Irma smashed her way through the British Virgin Islands, we were pretty sure we had lost our beloved SV Gray Ghost, a 1985 Irwin 52 ketch. The news came soon that she was totaled and we set about to find a new vessel and have it in the Virgin Islands before Christmas, 2017 so as not to lose the sailing season. With the help of Todd Patterson of B&G Yacht Management, we looked at four boats in mid-October. We found a stunning Hinckley SW 50 in Southwest Harbor and Todd’s pre-survey showed her to be solid and lovingly maintained. But we were not ready to move to a smaller vessel. On a whim, we looked at Athena, a Hinckley SW 59, while she was still in the water in Newport, RI. She stole our hearts. Todd moved quickly to pre-survey her and we made our offer. We were able to finalize the purchase on November 17, 2017. Todd worked three weeks straight with help from his team in Tortola to ready the boat for delivery. On December 7th, in a cold, snowy Nor’ easter, Todd left port and headed south. On December 17th, Athena arrived at Nanny Cay Marina in Tortola, one of the first boats to return.
With that delivery, her next chapter began.
This season found her hosting UGA Sailing Club cruisers; attending Antigua Classics; visiting Guadeloupe and Nevis, and racing in BVI Spring Regatta. The summer season promises cruising out of Southwest Harbor, ME and attending Hinckley Rendezvous in Nantucket before she takes a break for painting and repairs. She is expected to head back to the Caribbean in late October/early November. Stay tuned for more stories and tales!