What a Cake Walk!

After a week of deliberation and countless ideas from friends, family and co-workers, Geoff and I have finally decided on a name for our little sailboat.

Please allow me to introduce Cake Walk! She is a 26’ sailboat built in 1971 and her fiberglass hull is built like a tank! Her former owners had dubbed her Peregrine and a small peregrine falcon figurine still watches over the saloon. It seems the previous owners took the name with them leaving our Columbia 26 Mark II nameless.

Introducing Cake Walk 

So why Cake Walk? I know I don’t need to explain that to many of you reading this blog. However some of you are probably clueless at the moment. ‘Cake Walk’ is a song by Taj Mahal that took the Tall Ship Picton Castle crew of the Atlantic Voyage by storm. There is a fantastically silly dance that accompanies the song that has been performed in many countries, at a wedding or two and is a favorite at Dory Shop parties in Lunenburg. The song holds many memories for many Picton Castle sailors and others who have become a part of the extended family of the Barque from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

We were looking for a name that helped symbolize how we met on Tall Ships and where we met, Lunenburg, NS. A name that spoke to our adventures and the newest adventure we’re taking on. Owning our first boat. That’s a lot to put on a name but we feel Cake Walk is up to the challenge.

For those who have witnessed the dance or even danced it themselves you know the clumsiness and haphazardness that happens when those first few notes start to play. Very much like owning your own boat in way. The bumps and bruises and mistakes that you make until you find that sweet groove. Then you realize it’s a pretty sweet ride.

While our little boat needs a bit of TLC we can’t wait to spend the summer weekends and long evenings sailing here in Washington State. We’re gearing up to move her from Tyee Marina near Tacoma up to the Leschi Marina in Lake Washington. We’ll get to take her up through part of Puget Sound and then through the Ballard Locks to get from the salt water of the Sound to the fresh waters of Lake Union and Lake Washington. We’ll have to navigate strong currents, tides, a busy shipping channel and low draw bridges.

Hopefully the next time we're down there it'll be decent weather and I can get a few more pictures of her for you all. We can’t wait to take friends out on the water and maybe enjoy a beverage or three with everyone! Everyone say “HI” to Cake Walk!