We began our life together in 1974 after meeting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, both being majors in Industrial Design. Joe had a passion for boats and Janet for horses, neither which were financially accessible when you live in NYC and you’re still in your 20-somethings. So we moved inland to Joe’s home town of Louisville Kentucky, on the banks of the Ohio River and the pastures of the Bluegrass State, and immediately filled our lives with, what else, boats and horses (hence the name “Hippokampos”, half horse and half sea serpent). Joe got competitive with sailboat racing and Janet with equestrian eventing but took time out to do some charters and explore other waters.

Next up is to roll up our sails and shorten our keel to explore the rivers, lakes and coast of the eastern United States with our pilothouse trawler (although you might notice that the spars are still there ;-)

Here are some of our boating adventures of the past, present and future. Click on an image to read a description:

Motor boating on the Ohio River with the Burch family on QUEEN B, a Chris Craft 24 Cavalier.

Our first sailing vessel, the FUMBLE B, a 1950’s cold-molded wood Thistle class sloop.

Sailing the BVI’s on HONEY MOON, a Beneteau 32 .

The Laser class MISS MOUSIE, a solo-racer/sailors dream boat.

Our first keelboat, and first HIPPOKAMPOS, a Privateer 26 ketch designed by Thomas Gilmer.

FEVER, our second keel boat which brought us back into sailboat racing.

That’s the S2 11.0 QUIET STORM in the background, a big sister to our 7.9, that we chartered to sail the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior.

Cruising Travers Bay on our S2 7.9 REDRUM which eventually was taken over for racing.

Sailing the Saronic Gulf in Greece on PINK ELEPHANT, a Dufour 35, with our daughter Sara.

Our keep-at-home boat, BETTY, built by the Landing School in Maine out of cold-molded cedar.

Still taking time out to appreciate small boat sailing on the iconic Sunfish.

Where we are now… the M/V HIPPOKAMPOS