Baleen

Barry Spanier became involved with sailing in 1956 and windsurfing in 1979. His designs have been used to set world speed records, and powered one sailor to a dozen consecutive PWA World Championships.  Now the full circle, the love of voyaging, a sail loft, 

and a needy but solid vessel 

kept Barry busy.   Jim and Randy Coon of  Trilogy Excursions, knew who to ask when they wanted to open up Maui’s only full service, ground floor sail loft. West Maui Sail & Canvas was born. Check it out! www.westmauisailandcanvas.com    

After seven  years, Barry handed over the reins to his capable son Cutter, to run the loft, and Barry sold his boat and built a new one, SV Rosie G.

Samantha Spanier lived in Australia for thirty years as well as the US, Guam and India. She worked in the advertising industry in radio, TV, ad agencies and as National Advertising Manager for TAA/Australian Airlines.  She was editor and publisher of Barry Spanier's successful ocean adventure book, Dear Mom, The Bare Chronicles. She and Rosie G, her Red Cloud Kelpie, joined Barry in Maui 2005.  

I’ve been thinking about how to get the oceans clean of plastic for a long time. However, on December 9th, 2018, I found myself on Cornelia in the harbor. It was a nice afternoon with a good breeze through the cabin, and I felt directed to gather some drawing tools, a scale ruler, a blank sheet and an eraser. Previously I had sent a sketch to a friend and he immediately wanted a real drawing. 

It just went down, like a fluid thought. Not just the drawing but a flood of ideas about where this can go. All the research into gasification, the possibility of the idea being self-sustaining until the sea is clean, filled the moment. At one point it was so emotional I was sobbing and asking, ‘Why me?”

I made a long career out of ideas, but only because they were actually realized. Ideas are free. It takes calories to make them reality. I now more than ever believe there are so many calories waiting for us in the ocean, we will be stunned. All that remains is to find the skills in the community (ship design, gasification engineering, plastic-to-oil technology, raw guts) and STSTS will abound. 

It’s now just a matter of time.

Barry

 Commercial Sail Associates (CSA) was formed to encourage shipment of product by sailing vessels, saving on fossil fuels. 

"Sailing  ships are powered by an energy source free of direct cost,  political control, and pollution, and available in unlimited supply.  Escalating oil prices will continue, and costly “efficiency” improvements on existing cargo delivery systems will never result in stabilized costs for us, the users of the service, as long as ships burn oil."  Barry Spanier 

SV Cornelia is a 1974 Westsail 42.  Bought in 2009 and named after Barry's 102 year old mother, Cornelia Spanier,  Barry has completed 4 haulouts, rig replacement, installed a  new bowsprit and  stern pulpit, engine overhaul, complete interior renovations and  electrical rewiring, deck resurfacing, rail replacement, new dodger and awning; new mainsail tracks and mainsail cover. We sold her in 2020 to make way for Rosie G.

SV Rosie G is a Red Dog Yachts scowbow junk rig, built at Berkeley Marine Center.  It launched 28 February 2022. . 

Unique in its design, the sail is very light Hydranet material with 100% carbon battens and head spar and aluminum boom.

The scow bow provides a soft ride, dry decks, long straight waterlines, massive volume and high stability. Have a look at www.reddogyachts.com for pictures and more information.