To desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall really increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind - this is a choice which is possible for all of us; and surely it is a good haven to sail for.
Quote attributed to Henry Van Dyke
The Classic Difference
At Callisto Sailcraft, we want to ease accessibility to wooden sailboats by simplifying the pursuit of this nautical pedigree. Moreover, our purpose is to invest back into the sailing ecosystem by contributing to programs that enable young people to experience the virtues and beauty of sailing.
Callisto Sailcraft offers limited-production wooden daysailers built the old-fashioned way - by master craftsmen. We take time-honored designs, combined with the finest materials and extraordinary workmanship. The results are boats rich in their sensory pleasure.
What started out as one man’s dream of building a boat now touches the lives of many. Although he had never before built a boat, John Barrows began crafting an Arch Davis-designed Penobscot 17 at age 87. It was John’s nature to have a positive attitude and the trust he could teach himself whatever skills he needed to know. Working with his hands and wood for the pleasure itself, he nevertheless felt the drive to achieve excellence. It wasn’t long before he learned what to do and the Calista M was under construction.
Sadly, John was stricken with cancer while still in the early stages of framing the Calista M’s hull. Nevertheless, joined by his son, Tom, and lifted by an immense joy of his boat taking shape, work pressed on slowly with a few simple hand tools and power saw. It took them three years to build the boat. Each piece of wood, whether a plank, a stringer or a thwart, was hand-cut, hand-worked and fit into place.
In the fall of 2005 at age 90, John first sailed the Calista M. With a breeze in his face he and an enormous smile, John realized his dream. He passed away suddenly several weeks later.
“My father long ago taught me how to find my own way. I hope our wooden boats evoke a similar passion in those who sail them.”
Faced with grief, Tom now began to question has own values, his life, his future - asking himself “what do I want my legacy to be?” Emboldened by the realization he was destined to help his father, and having fallen in love with the design, the wood and spirit of the project, Tom, a life-long recreational sailor, became determined to create a business upon the quintessence of the boat he had built and sailed with his dad. After several years of forging relationships with celebrated members of the wooden boat trade, Tom, today, has achieved his dream of merging his personal interests with his work. Where once father and son cultivated a passion together, Tom now provides easy access to the heritage of wooden boats and the Calista M in his new business, Callisto Sailcraft.
The small team at Callisto Sailcraft, based in Wenatchee, Washington, along the scenic Columbia River, and Port Townsend, WA, the West Coast center of wooden boats, offers the limited-production Aurai 17 and Taras 15 coming summer 2010, which mean you no longer need to reserve a position with a custom builder or face myriad uncertainties of building your own boat at home. Each boat is hand-measured, hand-built and hand-finished. Impressively, a tremendous amount of energy, time and passion goes into their creation.
And, from this passion comes a desire and pledge to make a difference. With the sale of each boat, Callisto Sailcraft will contribute money to learn-to-sail programs for youngsters. The spirit behind these contributions is our sincere attempt to enhance the lives of youngsters through sailing, and to foster within them the freedom to dream, learn and embark on the world ahead.
