Click HERE to see a 10 minute WMV movie about our recent 2 month sailing adventure up and down the California Coast, June-August, 2006!!

Mandala is Sanskrit for circle, community, and connection. It is derived from the root manda, which means essence, to which the suffix la, meaning container, has been added - a container of essence.

As for the center, that is the essence.
As for the circumference, that is grasping, thus grasping the essence.

The mandala is often illustrated as a palace with four gates, facing the four corners of the Earth. The gates are guarded by four doorkeepers, and to pass thru you must be purified thru the fire of wisdom.

Mandala - the boat!

Mandala's Ships Logs

We did not name her Mandala. She was christened by the original owner, Dr. Harold Pruett, when he purchased her in 1990. He had her until early 2005, then another owner had her for a scant 7 months before we bought her in late 2005.  We thought about renaming her, but decided not to, as we like the name, and decided it would be wrong to rename her without even getting to know her first !

On these pages you can find out more details about the boat and how we came to own her, or if you would rather, you can find out more about our adventures upon her by checking out Mandala's Ships Logs, which is organized like a photo album of each voyage we've taken.

You can also find out how I started becoming interested in sailing by clicking the link below to my Early Sailing Adventures:

Other Sailing Adventures

Also, since writing this webpage in 2006, in 2007-2008, Trish and I have become full time sailboat cruisers, having sold Mandala. We purchased Rhapsody, and are currently sailing her thru Central America. You can find out more about our most recent cruising adventure by clicking on the links below:

Rhapsody ...

Rhapsody Logs ...