CW Article

Cruising World Article by Michel Savage

Check out page 22 of the July, 2001 issue of CRUISING WORLD for a mention of Little Cruiser. For those of you out there who don't have a subscription, see the picture below taken by Michel Savage, who wrote the article called "The Minimalists of George-Town."

The author writes:

The most minimal of sailors found in George-Town are Mindy and David Bolduc, who cruise three months a year aboard Little Cruiser, a 15-foot sharpie with a lug rig and a nine-inch draft. When I first saw this dinghy, I expected to find some funky old guy from Key West aboard. Mindy, a pharmacist, and David, a carpenter, seem normal; they aren't the type to rough it just for the sake of economy. They've known each other for 14 years, and they don't think their boat is too small. They carry two months' provisions aboard and still have space for Buddy, a parrot who does acrobatic tricks. "It's like camping," says Mindy. "We love it." 

For each of the last six years, they've trailered the boat from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Key Largo, Florida, then set sail for the Bahamas. Among many islands, they explored Little San Salvador, Cat Island, and George-Town. Like all, they patiently wait for a weather window; with the wind, they average five knots.
The sharpie's inch- thick bottom loves groundings. When that happens, they step over the side and push the boat off. The boat has "freshwater ballast": The more you drink, the more tender the boat becomes, but never wet, for all the steering is done from inside. There really is no "outside" to this boat, beacause there's no deck to speak of. Sven Lundin, the Swedish champion of pocket cruising, called David once, inquiring about Little Cruiser, and flew over to meet the builder. 

"It's a joy to be in George-Town, reuniting with cruisers we've known," says David. "When we need solitude, we sail off."

I smiled, thinking that Moitessier's spirit was still alive. I'd made peace with George-Town. The sailors I met taught me that not all of living aboard and sailing has become yachting. There's still some cruising being done in the shadows of the tall, multi-spreader masts.

Michel Savage, CW contributing Editor