Followers of this blog will know that in December 2007 I bought a yacht: a 78-foot wooden-framed yacht, built in 1929 and launched the following year, called the Creole and based in Seattle. Although she is one of the most beautiful vessels I have ever seen – and the few times I’ve been out in her I have had the time of my life – I have not mentioned her for some time because trying to run a vessel from thousands of miles away is a uniquely worrying experience, and I didn’t want to be reminded of it. Boats, especially wooden ones, deteriorate very fast in rainy conditions. However on November 18th 2011 I met Jayson Owen who runs a lodge on Kodiak Island, Alaska (www.bearpawlodgekodiak.com), in search of a new angle on marketing his business. We intend to go into partnership together, using the Creole as the main attraction in what is so deliciously called the ‘high end’ of the market. So, if you want to see bears and whale and many other natural delights at very close quarters check out the Bear Paw Lodge website. The Creole, fully restored and fitted, should be appearing on Kodiak soon, as will I and my family.
