> Just looked up square riggers, and what was in the top five hits but a picture of the Soren Larson. Wow, I was picturing a little sail boat.

And that's not even a very good photo. And the Spirit of New Zealand is even more beautiful. (You may soon learn that it was a mistake to get me started on this subject...) She's long and elegant, with a black hull, three varnished wooden masts which are white on the top parts -- ooh, long pointy bowsprit ... graceful curves ... white, white sails ... the Soren Larsen is a solid-looking ship but the Spirit is like a racing greyhound. She's a dream incarnate.

I love classic boats. Wooden, that's the way to go. My own boat is made of fibreglass, which the great yacht designer Herreshoff described as "frozen snot," but the interior is all glowing varnish and brass oil lamps.

Brunnen-"slave to tradition"G