Photo’s of Riptide the 38’ Aluminium Sparkman and Stephens design (one ton class) built by my Grandfather and sold to Michael Thurston for NZ$64,000 when I was about 9 years old.  The story goes that there was a mix up with brokerage listings so the broker that drove Michael all the way down from Auckland and did the deal actually ended up with no commission because Riptide was still in some contract with a Wellington broker who collected all of the fee.  Salesmen, they have no moral conscience!

 

Riptide

  

Michael bought the boat in race form and had it fitted out with a cruising interior, interestingly the man that did the refit was Peter Smith, who later went on to design the hugely popular Rocna anchor.  Photo’s below post refit.

 

 

 

 

 

To my Uncle Paul who crewed on Riptide to Fiji and back, I bet this does not look at all familiar.

 

Michael is planning to take Drina through the North West Passage this year, that is around the top of Canada through the Artic Circle and exiting in the Baring Sea, Alaska.