Tusitala

The sailing vessel Tusitala, Samoan for story-teller, does indeed have a story to tell. She is a gaff-rigged cutter, 30.5 feet, commissioned by Robert and Marge Saxton, of Round Pond, Maine; designed by John Atkins in 1979; and launched in 1981 at Bath, Maine. In 1986, the Saxtons, in their mid-sixties, began a circumnavigation, which they concluded in their seventies.

Phil Barney and I bought Tusitala this past March and have been busy restoring her and learning to sail a gaff rig. The four owners between the Saxtons and us made changes to the interior that were not necessarily improvements. Fortunately, we have Tusitala’s original plans to guide our work.

Both Robert and Marge were tall, so the 6’ 3” headroom is a benefit for Phil. I love the elegant simplicity of Tusitala’s design — perfect in its common-sense practicality.

Tusitala and the Saxtons are an inspiration for senior sailors. Not incidentally, after the Saxtons finished their circumnavigation, they toured the 49 continental states in a camper.

Phil and I, both in our 70’s, bought the boat on our second date, during a pandemic, no less. Never too old to fall in love with a human and a boat.