Dockside - Spring 2011

Spring 2011

On the beach in

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SPRING START-UPS 6 ideas for early springtime fun – rain or shine

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DOCKSIDE Publisher:

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On Lake Minnetonka & Mississippi River!

Contributors this issue: Vicki Bont, Richard Crawford, Stacey Wittig Advertising Sales: 952-345-6477 Dockside is published quarterly by Southwest Newspapers. For advertising information, call 952-345-6477. For general comments and questions, send e-mail to agentile@swpub.com or call 952-345-6676.

Corporate Events • Department Parties Wedding Events • Anniversaries Birthdays • Sweet 16s Bat/Bar Mitzvahs 2 for 1 Sightseeing and More!

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3

departments

features

Launch

5 Knotty secrets, spring fishing angles, garden prep ideas, lake cleanup in Prior Lake, and details about Savvy in the City event.

Lake Lifestyles

16

Fabulous Floors Discover boundless options and luxurious materials that will floor you.

Travel

8 Season Preview

Distinctive Destinations Consider these hot tips for cool trips.

Marina

22

Worldly Pursuits For Frenchman Bob Buffin, sailing is an escape discovered overseas.

12

Spring Start-Ups Try these ideas for early springtime fun.

Visit us online at www.docksidemagazine.mn

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Launch

News • Ideas • Tips

of making 17 basic American Sailing Association and US Sailing knots, including the figure 8, reef knot, clove hitch, bowline, and sheet bend.

The 97-minute DVD highlights the advantages and disadvantages of particular knots, such as using the round turn and two half hitches knot for tying your boat to a post. The strong knot is the best way to attach your boat to a post because a sailor still has control when releasing the line, according to Gilmore.

Whether you’re new to knot tying or just need a refresher, you’ll appreciate Gilmore’s introduction of basic terminology and her in-depth explanation of heaving a line, whipping a line, and tying up a dingy.

“Knotty Secrets” comes with 5 feet of line (basic kit, $14.95) or upgrade to the deluxe kit with a practice wood knot jig ($29.95), shipping and handling and tax not included. Visit knottysecrets.com for more information.

Savvy in the City Mark your calendar for “a day to shop, talk, learn and laugh” at Savvy in the City, set for Friday, May 6, at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in Minnetonka.

Knotty secrets A new DVD by Sail Away Sailing School introduces new sailors to the basics of line, coils, and knots.

Captain Joan Gilmore of Sail Away teaches you the “Knotty Secrets”

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The VIP sessions, set from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include sessions in four areas: Mind/Body/ Soul, Your Life without Chaos, Ignite the Power Within, and Fabulous Fashionistas. The general evening events, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., feature shopping options, entertainment offerings, fashion shows, belly dancing, Zumba, a chocolate room, beauty bar, wine and beer tasting, and free photo booths.

For information, go to Savvy.mn or Savvyinthecity.mn or call 952-345-6477.

Spring fishing The big walleye opener is still several weeks away (May 14), but anglers don’t despair. Plenty of other great fish are just waiting for your lures.

Pan fish. Keep your frying pan full with bluegills, crappies, perch, and rock and white bass all year. Minnesota has open season on pan fish, though there are possession limits.

Catfish. Minnesota lakes and rivers have five species of catfish: channel, yellow bullhead, brown bullhead, black bullhead, and the flathead.

Catfish are relatively easy to catch and possession limits for bullhead are extremely liberal.

The state also has open season on catfish.

Stream trout. The spring stream trout season starts April 16 across the state, but you can get an early start in southeastern Minnesota. The spring catch-and-release season runs April 1-13 in that corner of the state.

Prep the garden Nothing goes better with fish than fresh vegetables. Get your garden ready early for a productive growing season.

Don’t be in a hurry. You might be itching to get into your garden bed but wait until the soil is dry. While it depends on spring weather, sandy soil is usually ready in April. Clay, dark soil should not be touched until early May. Prep the soil. Good soil is the key to growing a great garden. Consider testing your soil’s pH to determine what nutrients might be missing.

Then, throw down a good layer of compost and/ or time-release fertilizer.

Weed, weed, weed. Take the time before you seed to weed your garden thoroughly. You’ll be thankful you did later.

Know your vegetables. Vegetables fall into two categories: cool and warm. While cool

season vegetables can be planted as soon as the soil is ready, don’t plant warm-season vegetables (tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers) until the soil temperatures reaches 50 degrees with no danger of frost. If desired, seeds can be started indoors and transplanted out later.

Contain it. If you don’t have room for a garden bed, container gardening is a great option.

Choose large plastic, glazed clay, or nontoxicsealed wood pots with plenty of drainage holes.

Fill them with soil-less potting mix, not garden soil.

Pick veggies your family will eat. Nothing is worse than planting rows of eggplant only to discover no one in your family likes it. Get the kids involved in picking veggies and don’t be afraid to try new things – in moderation.

Prior Lake’s Dive the Lake cleanup event Mark your calendar for Prior Lake’s annual Lake Clean Up Day and “Dive the Lake” event from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 4. Divers meet at Captain Jack’s on the shores of Prior Lake.

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Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

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Sailing school open house

The cleanup effort is sponsored by the Prior Lake Association and a group of scuba divers from the Prior Lake area.

The dive has been a huge success over the last couple of years and has attracted more than 60 area divers to help clean up the lake. Divers are asked to provide their own equipment for the dive. Association members have provided the participating divers with a boat ride to their dive location, so the organization will again be looking for volunteer boaters to bring divers to their designated dive areas. The divers will be bringing up debris from the bottom of the lake. The divers will be awarded prizes for various categories; Largest, Most Unusual, Oldest, Most Valuable and more. Divers will also receive an event t-shirt. For more information, visit the association’s website: Priorlakeassociation.org.

The Upper Minnetonka Sailing School and Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club are offering their annual Open House Friday, May 20 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Yacht Club in Spring Park on Lake Minnetonka. The general public is invited to enjoy free sailboat rides with the school’s instructors at the helm. The Sailing School will offer rides on its 23-ft. teaching boat, “Sailing School,” along with several other similar-sized sailboats.

Capt. Joan Gilmore, Instructor Evaluator for American Sailing Association, and lead instructor for the school says, “I want to welcome everyone who has always wanted to try sailing.

Our sailing school has helped hundreds of adults go from ‘just dreaming’ to ‘competent sailor.’

Sailing is such an economical, environmentally friendly way to enjoy the lake this summer.” The school offers beginning to advanced courses.

The event includes knot-tying demonstrations and a chance to meet racers and instructors of the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club and Upper Minnetonka Sailing School. Sailboat rides are free, on a first-come, first-registered basis.

You may pre-register for a ride by calling 612871-8101.

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Distinctive Destinations Looking for an exotic st travel adventure, or at lea ion cat va on an uncomm top destination? Here are five cey Sta m fro picks for 2011 vel Wittig, who writes the tra lu.

Lu blog Vagabonding

Five hot tips for cool trips Story and photos by Stacey Wittig

Tanzania: Safari; Zanzibar: Beach Holiday Experience the wonders of Africa’s wildlife by hot-air balloon. Get an up-close view of wildebeest herds pushing across the Serengeti, zebras zigzagging through endless grasses and elephants bathing in wadis. Go wild on a walking or vehicle safari and then sleep tight in your deluxe safari tent.

Tanzanian safaris take you deep into African landscapes.

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Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

After witnessing the largest mass movement of mammals on the planet (say that five times), fly to Zanzibar, Tanzania’s “Spice Island” (see photo, page 10). Here on the Indian Ocean’s white sands, cultures have collided for centuries. Stay in exotic Stone Town where Arab harems danced for sultans, Indian spice merchants left splendid architecture and Dr. Livingstone (I presume) began his last journey into the Swahili mainland. Or stay at a beach resort for some of the world’s best scuba diving. www.adventuresinafrica.com.

Hike Peru’s Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

High Living Along Peru’s Ancient Pathways Adventure travelers love the trek to Machu Picchu, the “Lost City of the Incas,” for its blend of action, rugged beauty and lavish pampering. What do you call a four-day backpacking trip where polite porters carry your pack, learned chefs prepare exotic local foods, and hot wine is served at an alpine viewpoint 11,742 feet above sea level? Vagabonding Lulu calls it “Gucci Camping.”

The remote ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can be reached by train, but the hardy – may I add fool-hardy? – prefer the road less traveled, the Inca Trail. Acclimate for altitude in Cusco with a three-day stay at the lavish Hotel Monasterio, a former monastery dating from 1592. As the oldest inhabited city of the New World, Cusco will charm you with its Spanish Colonial churches, Inca ruins and sweet artisans selling crafts from arcades full of history. www.mayuk.com.

Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

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Discover this spectacular beach getaway on Zanzibar, East Africa.

10

Dockside â—† Spring 2011

Spa/Golf Getaways Worth the Splurge

Mediterranean Under Full Sail

Closer to home, but no less luxurious is the remarkable Arizona desert studded with worldclass spas, top-rated golf courses, and dazzling shopping. Escape into the resplendent Sonoran Desert via some of the world’s most highlyregarded, challenging, and scenic golf courses.

Or let yourself slip away during blissful body treatments at the legendary spas of the PhoenixScottsdale area.

You’ll find no better way to experience the western Med than from the deck of a fullrigged tall ship. Board a replica of the clipper ships that sailed when time ticked more slowly, and you’ll step back into a gentle, relaxed way of life. The creak of rope against teak melts away concerns of this digital age. After dropping anchor in charming ports such as Portofino, St. Tropez or Cannes, you’ll have time to hangout with locals.

My recommendation? Pull out the stops at InterContinental Montelucia Resort where your whole family can play in their own private lawn, pool, and spa that comes with the Andalusian Presidential Suite. President Obama slept in this ultra-luxurious two-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath abode. Or check in at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, home of the PGA’s Phoenix Open, where I could easily spend a whole day in Willow Stream Spa’s adult rooftop pool and cabanas.

Seriously. Don’t miss Agave, the spa at Westin Kierland Resort which uses traditional healing treatments handed down from Arizona’s many cultures. www.visitphoenix.com.

Tack up the Amalfi Coast or breeze into harbors steeped with history. Plan your sailing vacation so you can spectate at the Monaco Grand Prix. In the casual yet elegant style of private yacht sailing, you’ll embark on a journey complete with loads of nautical activities, yet without a rigid schedule. Bring your favorite Jackie O. shades. Visit www.starclippers.com.

Fit for a King Royal buzz puts the Isles of Scilly on the list of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s honeymoon picks. Although I’ve yet to visit the romantic archipelago off the southwestern tip of Great Britain, it looks delightful. (Think picnic “hampers” bulging with fresh local foods, proper Cornish cream tea and bird watching.) Designated as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” the islands are reached by helicopter, small prop plane, or ferry. Stay in a castle, hotel or B&B. I’d try Island Hotel for the manicured croquet lawn and private beach. www.simplyscilly.co.uk.

Stacey “Vagabonding Lulu” Wittig, a freelance travel writer, blogs at www.vagabondinglulu.com.

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Spring Start-Ups

Try these ideas for early springtime

fun

By Vicki Bont

Early spring weather fills Minnesotans with the desire to get out and do things. Of course the weather doesn’t always cooperate. Here are some ideas to make the most of this time of year, rain or shine.

Get moving Golf courses open soon. In the meantime, practice your swing in any weather at Golf Zone in Chaska. This indoor heated facility with 40 stalls and a putting green has four instructors who have helped kids to geriatrics.

Visit Yourgolfzone.com (952-445-1500).

erally open in late March or early April. The most anticipated debut this year is Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska after its lengthy makeover. The club house is already available to members with a Grand Public Open House in the works. Sources say the course officially is set to re-open June 1.

Beyond the inside game, local courses gen-

How about canoeing? Three Rivers Park

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Dockside â—† Spring 2011

District offers guided canoe trips for ages 12+ with intermediate paddling skills. All gear, including canoes, will be provided: May 21, May 28, May 29 and May 30; 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Lake Minnetonka. Register at ThreeRiversParks.org.

Kayaking also is more popular than ever, thanks to new designs that are shorter, wider

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13

Hiking, canoeing and kayaking are all popular outdoor activities at Three Rivers parks located throughout the Twin Cities.

■ Take a vacation from fertilizing as plants are still putting down roots.

■ Pump up the color by planting cold tolerant pansies and viola.

Take a day trip

and easier to control. Finally, hiking is also an excellent way to get outside in the early spring. Check Three Rivers Parks’ site for trail information.

Go green Dream about and plan your summer’s garden now with help from Burpee Seed Catalogs and Northern Gardener Magazine. According to the Mustard Seed in Chaska, this year has plenty of spectacular additions for the northern landscape, such as 12 varieties of hydran-

geas that will be arriving.

As soon as you can step on your lawn without leaving a print, it’s time to get busy: ■ Cleanse your landscape of debris and cut back old things like perennial grasses.

■ Refresh your mulch by raking out leaves and topping it off. It’s much easier to do before the plants sprout.

Get a free subscription to Dockside Magazine Subscribe FREE to Dockside Magazine Dockside Magazine is published seasonally by Southwest Newspapers distributing more than 7,000 copies throughout the Twin Cities’ southwest suburbs.

Residents of the following cities can receive a free subscription by mail: Belle Plaine, Bloomington, Burnsville, Carver, Chanhassen, Chaska, Cologne, Eden Prairie, Edina, Excelsior, Hopkins, Jordan, Minnetonka, New Prague, Prior Lake, Richfield, Savage, Shakopee, St. Louis Park, Victoria, Waconia and Wayzata. Subscriptions from outside the area are $12 per year.

Request Your FREE Subscription at Circulation@swpub.com 14

Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

Treat a friend to a full day of browsing and shopping on Excelsior’s Main Street. Scouting all of the specialty shops and boutiques is just the beginning. The Farmers Market opens May 5 (every Thursday thereafter during the summer season, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.). You can snap up the early season specialties of the market; plus you’ll find garden plants that are truly northern hardy. Also, troll the market in search of finds like furniture for cabins and porches.

Wake up your brain and body at the college of the outdoors, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Try something you always wanted to do in April and May at the Arb’s 47 special events and classes that will explore cooking, art, exercise, and landscaping. Contact the Arb at www.arboretum.umn.edu; Education (952-443-1422) Special Events (952-4431425) Bloomline (612-625-9791).

Go ‘Metropolitan’ Immerse yourself in culture—B.C., Renaissance, and beyond—at the three major Twin Cities museums!

Walk like an Egyptian to the King Tut Exhibit at Science Museum in St. Paul to see 100 stunning artifacts—www.smm.org (651-2219444). Reservations recommended; showing now through Sept. 5, 2011.

Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see the first-ever traveling exhibition of Titian and Venetian masterpieces from the National Gallery of Scotland. Reserve tickets at www. artsmia.org (612-870-3131); showing now through May 1, 2011.

Try to pronounce Goshka Macuga, (Goshka Maa-zoo-gaa). Why? She is a world famous artist from London who has chosen to make the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis the host of her first U.S. show. Goshka is creating a piece inside the Burnet Gallery that incorporates the Walker’s own founder (and lumber baron) T. B. Walker’s photos of the mighty timber industry—www.walkerart.org

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Take me out to a ballgame

■ Check the lift for cable fraying, wear, or rusting ■ Operate the lift on land to see if there is any binding

The Minnesota Twins’ home opener is April 8. The team has plenty of home stands throughout April and May in their cool new ballpark, Target Field.

Matt Mueller of Minnesota Inboard in Excelsior says you should go through the following steps to assure your first outing with your boat and trailer will be smooth sailing.

The Saint Paul Saints have their home opener May 12.

■

Check all level fluid levels

■

Connect and charge battery

Get ready to jump in the lake

■ Inspect ALL hoses and hose clamps for proper tightness

Now’s the time to work on your dock and do your boat-lift prep with these tips from Victoria’s ServaDock President Paul Jeurissen:

■ Purchase a Fake-A-Lake or Flushet for starting the engine in the driveway

■ Change or improve the layout of your dock on land before installation

■ Turn the steering wheel to make sure the rudder or lower unit didn’t seize up over the winter

■ Check the condition of the decking for rotting or warping lumber ■

Grease the sub screws

■

Install ALL drain plugs

Vicki Bont is Victoria-based freelance writer.

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Fabulous Floors

Boundless options, luxurious materials will floor you

StonePeak Ceramics’ newest collection, Raja, shown here, replicates the exotic slate found in India and interprets even the smallest details of the quarried slate. (Photo Courtesy of StonePeak Creamics)

16

Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

By Vicki Bont

Springtime is the right time for resurfacing, redoing, or upgrading your home’s flooring, especially after the tough winter wear.

Uncommon and highly personalized luxury flooring is the current design trend for new and remodeled homes.

“Homeowners don’t want their floor to blend into the background like it did in the ’90s with maple flooring and cabinets everywhere, and one carpet color throughout the home,” notes Chad LeMair, CEO of Above All Hardwood Floors and Carpet of Prior Lake.

He feels because people spend a lot on flooring, they want to show it off and use it to highlight their home.

strands are being used in deep rich colors, patterns, and schemes.

Hence, marble, teak, travertine, and rosewood are not only for palaces anymore, but they are in the vocabulary for exceptional flooring in many Minnesota homes.

“Carpet is being used to accent and not for total coverage for a variety of reasons,” explains LeMair. “It has to be cleaned and ultimately replaced more often. It also houses lots of allergens.”

Carpet has gone from the short nap, wallto-wall and bland hide-the-dirt-tones to thebolder-the-better choices. Very lush longer

Homeowners are choosing to showcase special areas such as a guest room, selecting a plush long-pile wool carpet at $80-$90 a

2.

1.

1. Another example of StonePeak’s Raja collection, Vijay Sand. See Page 18 for where to find StonePeak products in Twin Cities. (Photo courtesy of StonePeak Ceramics) 2. The wood floors here pull together this charming and functional kitchen; flooring available from Above All Hardwood Floors in Prior Lake. (Photo courtesy Above All Hardwood Floors) 3. A sunroom is made even more inviting by these uncommon floors, also available from Above All Hardwood Floors. (Photo courtesy Above All Hardwood Floors)

3.

Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

17

yard. Or, they’ll choose long carpet runners in strong designs to accent stairways and hallways.

Instead of carpet, opting to use fine rugs over hardwood or stone flooring has become one of the most popular options. And sometimes the owners just don’t want to cover up their floor.

“I created a mosaic of tiles in the entry of an Edina lakeside home that looks real enough that you could be tempted to lift the corner up,” says Scott VanWyhe, owner of VanWyhe’s Creative Flooring.

Everything from granite that’s cut translucent thin, to rustic tumbled and pitted marble is being used. Porcelain tile in all shades, color, and textures has broken out of the bath and is showing up in kitchens, bars, and laundry rooms.

Following the “deep-rich color” vogue, slate floors are also returning. The stone and the

Cottage is a thru-color collection from StonePeak Ceramics that captures the look of natural wood enhanced by a slightly distressed texture. Cottage is suitable for both commercial and residential applications.

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Visit TileXdesign.com. Also visit Stonepeakceramics.com. (Photos courtesy of StonePeak Ceramics)

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Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

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grout are being enhanced with a natural seal to bring out the sheen.

“The owners should put as much time and thought into the grout color choice as they do into the material selection. It is crucial to the appearance of the floor,” VanWyhe recommends, and he says to choose a supplier with as many color selections as possible, like Tile

by Design in Plymouth.

Both tile and hardwood floors can host radiant heating and last indefinitely with the proper care. Think of the buildings in Europe where floors have seen centuries of traffic.

“We even do a better job refinishing than six years ago when we used oil-based polyurethane,” LeMair points out. “It took 24 hours to dry, and it wasn’t good for the floor or the environment. Now we use a 90 percent waterbased finish after we sand. It dries quicker and harder.”

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Edina Realty 320-582-1342

Email for info in Wright, Meeker and Beyond MicheleMeis@EdinaRealty.com

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Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

19

ity with the movement to exotic woods, or taking the approach of resurfacing existing floors using everything from mixing different widths to random patterns.

Buy American walnut and hickory for incomparable deep, rich, brown and red tones at $11 to $14 per square foot, according to Deb Miller, flooring specialist for Rob’s Custom Upholstery and Flooring of Maple Lake.

The popular exotic woods include cumaru (pronounced coo-ma-roo,) or its English nickname Brazilian teak and Ipe (ee-pay) or its English name Brazilian walnut. Both are extremely hard woods with sumptuous warm tones. They run $10.50 to $12.50 per square foot, but it is worth noting that foreign wood prices fluctuate according to availability and popularity.

Brainerd Barnwood from right here in Minnesota, of course, has come on strong with rustic fans at $15 to $20 per square foot. The old barns offer wide widths no longer available in hardwoods long since harvested, and can be given hand-scraped and natural-stained finishes to complete the look.

Two more stylish kitchens that were greatly enhanced by the addition of these distinctive floors, available from Above All Hardwood Floors in Prior Lake. Visit Aboveallhardwoodfloors. com. (Photos courtesy of Above All Hardwood Floors)

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One essential caveat: Miller cautions that all wood flooring, even woods harvested from barns and old buildings that have done the majority of their shrinking and warping, need to be moved inside the job site (home or office) to acclimate before installation.

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Mixtures of all these materials are being created more frequently as owners and designers are striving for the ultimate customized combinations. Picture a tile mosaic under the dining room table area framed by cherry hardwood accenting the dropped ceiling lines above, and then surrounded by a field stone of black granite.

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Vicki Bont is a Victoria-based freelance writer.

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Marina

rotting. With his engineering background, Buffin was eager to do the renovations himself.

Worldly pursuits

During the winter of 2008-09, Buffin spent time working on the boat at its Glencoe storage location and his Minnetonka home, where he continued working on renovation ideas.

Every weekend he spent eight hours a day on the boat. He was racing to have the boat seaworthy for the 2009 season of the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club.

He made it … barely.

“I really enjoy the renovation process,” says Buffin, who now is 44 and is taking his own son out sailing. “I know my boat very well.”

For Frenchman Bob Buffin, sailing is an escape discovered overseas (LEFT) Bob Buffin bought this boat in 2008 and spent hundreds of hours renovating it to sail on Lake Minnetonka.

(ABOVE) Bob Buffin sails his boat, named the Blue Mary Buffin, on Lake Minnetonka with the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club fleet.

By Richard Crawford When Bob Buffin was just a young lad growing up near Lyon, the second largest city in France, he got his first exposure to sailing.

Buffin credits French yachtsman Eric Tabarly for instilling in him the sailing bug. Tabarly, who is considered the father of French yachting, was known for making around- the-world voyages.

“He made sailing very popular as a sport,” says Buffin, who retains a French accent but now lives in Minnetonka.

Tabarly would go on lengthy trips, including the Observer Single-handed TransAtlantic Race, which he won in 1964. Those days were long before GPS systems and 24-hour news coverage. Tabarly would disappear for days, Buffin recalls, and nobody would know what happened to him until he’d make land halfway across the world.

As a youngster, Buffin said he was fascinated by Tabarly’s exploits; however, Lyon was too far from the sea to realistically pursue sailing as a hobby. Flash forward several decades, and Buffin would get the urge to head out on the water again.

After coming to the United States, where he now works as an engineer with MTS, Buffin

22

Dockside ◆ Spring 2011

had a variety of opportunities to sail.

His first taste was on Lake Norman, near Charlotte, N.C., where a French friend invited him to crew. After work brought him to Detroit, sailing was put on the shelf. But when his job moved him to the land of 10,000 lakes five years ago, sailing plans ramped up.

He’s crewed on J22 boats out of the Wayzata Yacht Club, and in 2008 was invited to sail with a co-worker at the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club. “I had always wanted to sail,” Buffin says. And he was pondering getting his own boat to captain.

While docking at the Upper Minnetonka Yacht Club, another owner mentioned he was planning to sell his Ensign boat. At first, Buffin didn’t take the bait. The boat was in need of substantial repair.

But while on a business trip in Europe the following week, he couldn’t resist. He picked up the phone and made the long-distance call to buy the boat.

He doesn’t regret it, even though it resulted in hundreds of hours of his own time refurbishing the boat, built in the early 1960s. Over the years, the boat had deteriorated and most of the balsa wood underneath the deck was

Just as with the renovation process, Buffin was generally self-taught when it came to skipping the boat, which he re-christened the Blue Mary Buffin.

During his first competitive UMYC race as a skipper of his own boat, Buffin said he was flustered by all the commotion near the starting line. But during the second race – that same day – Buffin turned the final buoy in first place. Still, he finished third out of four boats.

He’s made steady progress as a skipper and won plenty of races in his small UMYC fleet in 2010.

“I’m the guy to beat now,” Buffin says with a smile. “I’m going to have to defend my position.”

Whether it’s a competitive racing situation or just a day out with friends, Buffin says he can’t envision life without sailing now.

“Lake Minnetonka is beautiful and the best way to enjoy it is to be on the water,” he says.

“When I sail on my boat, I enjoy the wind and the sun and the world shrinks to the boat, water, and one row of houses on the shore.

When I race on my boat, the world shrinks a little bit more.”

In addition to being an active sailor in the UMYC fleet, Buffin now is passing his passion to other people while serving in the role of president of the UMYC sailing school.

He also plans to serve as a crew member in the Chicago to Mackinac race on Lake Michigan this summer. At 333 miles, the race is one of the longest fresh-water races in the world.

What goes around, comes around.

Richard Crawford lives in Deephaven and is the publisher and editor of the Chanhassen Villager.

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1996 31’ Celebrity 310 Sport Cruiser $29,900

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