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I remember the first impression I had of Clizia the rainy
morning I found her huddled beneath a canvas cover in a deserted
corner of port. It was like seeing a prize thoroughbred that had been
sent out to pasture. What a shame! This was a sturdy, fast sailing
yawl meant for the open sea and that morning I promised to put her
back in action. |
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Clizia was built in 1959 for an Italian industrialist at the Moestes
shipyard in Genoa. This was in the days when shipwrights still
crafted their vessels in wood. The entire length of her 42-foot hull
is constructed of Jamaican mahogany. Her ribs are made of oak; decks
of Burma teak and both her masts are shaped from spruce. In fact the
timber used in her original construction is still kept in stock to
this day at Moestes & Sons for her eventual use.
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I've always loved wooden boats but what really attracted me that day
was those lines. She's a classic. Originally built as a cruising
racer, Clizia in her time was one of the fastest boats of her size
afloat and she had a winning history on the Mediterranean racing
circuit during the 1960's. (Clizia has since added two Atlantic
crossings to her credit.) Her lean, athletic lines were conceived by
the worlds' premier designers of sailing yachts: Sparkman and
Stephens.
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Though structurally as solid as the day she was built, she did come
from that earlier era when sailing was primarily a man's game. After
purchasing her I spent much of the first year modernizing and
improving her spartan interior for long-range cruising-things like
hot showers, music system, deck shower, solar panels, plusher bedding
and heating and dependable refrigeration were added until she became
quite a comfortable floating home. It was also at this time that I
added much of the navigational and electronic gear (GPS, radar,
autopilot, ham SSB radio, etc.) that would help guide me
on my proposed voyage across the Med.
This extended journey was to be my sabbatical from the hectic career
I had been pursuing in the music business. For the previous eight
years I'd toured almost non-stop across the United States on the
night-club circuit and prior to that had recorded two albums for RCA
records in Europe while also touring there.
After renting out the home and packing up the dog and cat,
I finally set sail from the south of France and headed East.
Over the next several years we sailed the coasts of France, Corsica,
Italy, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Israel, deliberately taking time
to enjoy the individuality of these places.
For part of the voyage I chose to follow the legendary
path of Ulysses and later, half-way through the
journey realized the boat was also duplicating the
same searoute followed by the Crusaders going to their
Holy Wars. Clizia virtually came alive for me during
this period. I came to rely on her like a trusted
friend and finally she conducted us safely through the
hazards of sea and weather to the end of the first leg
of the journey. I was determined however, to turn her
around and berth her back in Asia Minor. Here I could
charter the boat for several years and earn the much
needed money to properly equip her for what I now had
in mind... a circumnavigation!
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This dream has finally come true. Today Clizia is once
again plying the high-seas to new and exotic locations
while sailing in stages around the world. With the
assistance of a small stream of fun-loving and
adventurous folks the boat recently recrossed the Med
and is now being prepared for the European leg of her
journey.
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Obviously, I love what has finally happened. Could
anything be better? Nothing pleases me more than to
catch the excited expression of a fellow shipmate
standing on the heeling deck as the sails begin to
pull and Clizia powers her way through the crests.
This is life! And I know it pleases Clizia too...her
adventures continue.
David Appel
Captain and owner S/Y Clizia
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