This site was formerly known as Sailing Skiron. As you can see, it now goes by a different name. Much of the content is still relevant. It will, however, head off in a different direction beginning today.
Skiron, my beloved sailing vessel, which I sold a few years ago, was named after the Greek name of the wind from the NorthWest, the most common wind off our coast in Northern California for much of the sailing season. Her name changed when the current owner took delivery.
After nearly two very long years without a sailboat we are now obtaining a replacement sailing vessel and will take delivery soon. It’s something special and along the lines of what I’ve dreamed of owning for over a decade. It’s a classic 1977 Sparkman and Stephens design, Nautor’s Swan 431, hull number 022; only one of 32 crafted at the boat yard in Finland.
We will be the third owners. The first owner was a resident of Sweden. The second couple, residents of the North Bay Area, cared for and enjoyed this vessel for nearly 40 years. She’s in good shape but needs some work to sail as intended.
A special vessel deserves a unique name. It wouldn’t be right to simply call her Skiron II.
We thought of naming her after navigational stars. Some are in Arabic and short so as to make it easy to report to the USCG if required. I liked the name Altair. In Arabic, it is a term related to the root word for “to fly.” except, it means “flying eagle.” And a swan is far from that even though she flies across the surface of the water.
We explored the Cardinal winds in detail. It turns out that Iapyx (eye-Aa-pix) is a minor God of the NorthWest wind, the wind also known as Skiron. This wind is mentioned by Virgil as the wind that carried Cleopatra to Egypt after a lost battle. Of further interest, the historical figure Iapyx practiced the “tranquil art of healing.” He was thought to have received divine favor from Apollo. Being a physician, that name certainly interested me. It is, however, cumbersome and likely to be mispronounced.
Lapis, short for Lapis lazuli, is favorite stone. I have a signet ring with a lapis stone. Lapis is associated with wisdom, truth, enlightenment, and royalty. All of this can be said of the designers and builders of the early Swans and of the subsequent pedigree at Nautor’s. Many of the famous European painters used lapis, ground into dust and suspended in oil, as an ultramarine blue pigment, to paint seascapes and skies. Legend has it that Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” was painted with lapis. The seas have been described as lapis blue…. ultramarine blue….and more depending on weather, light, etc. And, of course, blue is one of the Swan colors. It’s not really lapis blue, but it’s close enough. The biggest surprise of all is that Lapis is a variation on the name Iapyx! It seemed perfect. Lapis…. it was our plan. I liked it. But something about it did not quite resonate. Maybe it was too close to labis….which means excessive or too much.
My partner’s name is Ruby. That’s enough. Ruby is also my birthstone. And so……Ruby it is!
Welcome to Sailing Ruby!
One day I’ll post some photos of Ruby sailing Ruby.
Sailing Ruby 