Four years ago, I sent my family photos of the boat I was hoping to buy. It was called Aldebaran, a 42ft trimaran built in 1968.
My mom responded: "Amazing! That is the name of your great-uncle's boat!"
In fact, I later discovered that my great-uncle not only had one Aldebaran, but he also built Aldebaran II. He then sailed in an epic journey from Brazil to Greece and back.
The stars were aligned! (excuse the pun)
Still, I hesitated. This is a large boat for someone without deep pockets. It is very expensive to moor in marinas. It is extremely maintenance intensive, being made from a composite of plywood and fiberglass.
The main reason to purchase such a large boat was a stable platform for exploration and adventure ecology -- to have space for others such as scientists, artists, and lovers of the outdoors and the sea. This is what motivated me, and I went ahead. True to expectations I labored (along with my boat partner) for years with sweat and sawdust and stressful costs.
Now the boat is finally finding its stride, and the vision is coming together. I look forward to sharing it.
Easy to spot near Orion, Aldebaran is an extraordinary orange star on the top left of the "V" of Taurus, considered the "Bullseye"
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