(Hopetown, Abacos, Bahamas)- not too long ago, J/Dealer Craig Crossley commissioned J/95 #34 for new owners Bob & Janet Knaus who live in the Abacos, Bahamas.
Said Crossley, “When we commissioned GRUMPY TOO at Stanley's in
Barrington, Rhode Island, Bob and his son Peter joined Mark Ploch and me
for the first sea trials and rig tune on Narragansett Bay. We then
arranged trucking to West Palm Beach, Florida and did a re-commissioning
so Peter could sail the boat over to the Bahamas islands. It is hard to
imagine a more “perfect” owner with his “perfect” boat.Bob & Janet’s commentary follows: “Here’s an update on GRUMPY TOO in case you’d like to share with friends in the ‘J-World’.
We
have enjoyed spending winters in this lovely spot since 1985. The
weather is mild, and the water clear, warm and the most spectacular
color of blue-green. The long chain of out-islands serves our waters
beautifully, protecting us from the wind and waves of the Atlantic.It is here we initially came with our cruising boats. Before long we built a house, and started spending our winters here, accumulating smaller boats along the way.
We enjoyed sailing and racing our J/80, GRUMPY OLE MEN, from 1997 until last year, when she was replaced with our new J/95, GRUMPY TOO.
What a perfect solution! No more bumping off the bottom and avoiding great sailing spots, and no compromise in racing performance. She is extremely well balanced, and a dream to sail.
We
are members of the Hopetown Sailing Club, which this year celebrated
its 50th anniversary. During this past winter season, the club
sponsored eight well organized non-spinnaker club races. Handicaps are
determined by a combination of PHRF and Portsmouth, and then performance
adjusted. The fleet averages a dozen and a half boats. Good wind and
weather allowed for all scheduled races and a lot of smiling faces.As scratch boat in a fleet with boats as large as 45 ft, GRUMPY TOO was on her game, as she collected 4 of 7 first place trophies, and was hands down winner of the ‘Boat of the Year’ at Hopetown Sailing Club.” For any J/cruisers that make their way down towards Hopetown, AbacosBeer-can, Bahamas, you know where to find some kindred spirits!
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