About….
Dragon II of Cowes
Dragon II of Cowes is a Swedish Malo 39 built in 1999 with hull number 146. She was initially Austrian registered as Downwind by her first owner. I bought her in 2015 when she was in Marmaris and had her British registered (Part I). Below she has a two cabin layout; owners cabin in the bows with ensuite shower and basin and a good size double cabin aft on the port side. The heads with additional shower is aft starboard. The port side galley has a double burner gas hob and oven, a top loading fridge and a double sink with a salt water and fresh water taps. The saloon is cosy and secure with the hallmark Malo saloon table . Sal0on seating can be transformed into sea-berths with lee cloths, with the starboard sea-berth being a favourite. The full size chart table and nav station is to starboard opposite the galley.
The Skipper
I started sailing around year 2000, with my wife and three you children, spending summer holidays on Sunsail flotillas in the Med where the kids could enjoy playing with other young crew members. After getting my Day skipper “ticket” we progressed to bareboat charters giving us a bit more freedom and a feeling we needed to fend for ourselves. We learnt lots and found some charters were not always honest or the boats in the best shape. On one the anchor had a bolt missing meaning the anchor lay flat on the seabed and never digged in! How we never dragged is a puzzle…lots of chain? In 2015, a few years before retirement I bought Downwind and renamed her Dragon II. She is not the perfect boat; the anchor system is the biggest gripe. But she has looked after me. Ten years on from buying her, I am now sailing mostly solo and making my first steps offshore.
Why this website?
I’ve learned a lot from reading magazines, researching on the internet and thought it’s time to give a bit back. I recently gave an online talk for Haven Knox Johnson about my first forays offshore and found people really engaged. So is seems I do have experience others are happy to hear about and learn from. Let’s see.
A Dragon's Tale 