TOSCA II
This is our Loop boat, TOSCA II, photographed at Gasparilla Island, Florida, after refit and during "commissioning" by her proud new owners in August, 2012. She is a 1990 Tollycraft 44' Cockpit Motor Yacht, powered by twin Detroit diesels. We think she is perfect for us - easily handled by just the two of us and a comfortable size for doing the Great Loop.
What's with the name? Well, TOSCA is the eponymous heroine of one of Puccini's most famous operas, in which she is a jealous mistress. "Jealous Mistress" - what better name for a boat! Why TOSCA II? Because one of our previous boats was named TOSCA and that name was no longer available to us.
What's with the name? Well, TOSCA is the eponymous heroine of one of Puccini's most famous operas, in which she is a jealous mistress. "Jealous Mistress" - what better name for a boat! Why TOSCA II? Because one of our previous boats was named TOSCA and that name was no longer available to us.
This is our first TOSCA, a Concordia yawl. She was a thing of beauty, photographed here off Newport, Rhode Island in June 1978, with Alex at the helm, on our return to Nova Scotia from the Bahamas. To quote Tracy (aka Sam, played by Grace Kelly) and Dexter (played by Bing Crosby) in the movie High Society, speaking of the True Love on which they had spent their honeymoon: "My, she was yar."
Here she is, "on the hard", displaying the full beauty of her lines - a real thoroughbred. We sold her to a doctor in Newfoundland and she's still there as far as we know.
Inevitably, with a "new" boat, there's some sprucing up that's needed. For example, here's some mildew that had grown around the window seals.
And here's Alex working away at getting rid of it. On TOSCA I, it was down in the bilge - here at least she's up on deck!
And the result - WOW, just like new!
There's also the process of renaming. Here, Captain Rich, who was one of our instructors at the Chapman School of Seamanship, removes the name PRIME TIME.
Proud new owners of TOSCA II.