Welcome aboard Aria's website. 

Thanks for dropping by!

Aria is a 1980 37' Island Trader Ketch currently in the care of Michael Paque (Captain), Charles Ballew (First Mate), and Jennifer, Pepper, Rosie, & Pyrate (the crew), and is temporarily being sailed on Perry Lake, KS (about 20 miles northwest of Lawrence).

In the Spring of 1999, Michael and Charles bought a 1982 MacGregor 25', but after a season of sailing Lis d'Eau it became apparent to Charles (who was sailing for the first time) that a larger, better equipped vessel was mandatory. So in late April, 2000, Michael flew to Daytona Beach, FL, to look at Aria which had been located via the www.yachtworld.com website. An offer was made, a deposit tendered, and a survey commissioned. Approximately 2 weeks later the sale was finalized, and a hauler was hired to transport her from Florida to Kansas.

For those interested in statistics, Aria was originally designed and commissioned by Marine Trading International of Toms River, NJ, and built at a boatyard in Taipei, Taiwan; she lived on the Atlantic Ocean for the first 20 years of her existence. She has an over-all length (from bow sprit tip to mizzen mast boom) of 46'5", and she has a 11'10" beam. She has a full keel with a ballast of 5,500 lbs., and a net displacement of 19,500 lbs. A 1990 Yanmar 30 hp. diesel motor with a 40 gallon tank powers her when not under sail. 

Aria's cabin boasts a teak headliner, teak cabinetry, hand carved solid teak doors (with a bamboo motif) to the V-berth State Room and Head, and a teak and holly sole. The Galley sink and the Head sink/shower are supplied with hot & cold water from a 135 gal. fresh water tank, and the Head toilet holding tank accommodates 6 gal. of waste. There is also a propane 2-burner, Force10 stove with oven in the Galley.

The V-berth State Room sleeps 2 adult humans and a couple of dogs comfortably (air conditioning keeps us all cool during the Midwest's hot and humid Summers), and the Grand Salon amidships can sleep 2 more adults in the convertible dining area with 1 extra sleeping berth on the settee. Aft there is also a pilot's berth.

Her cockpit and decks are covered in teak, and as you'll see in this website's photos there is loads of decorative teak on the hull. Her current sails were fabricated during early Summer of 2000 by Wolfe Sails of Topeka, KS, and made of 9 oz. Dacron in an Egyptian muslin color (think manila file folders).

We took delivery of Aria in Kansas on May 18, 2000, but because the marina operator did not have a trailer available to sufficiently accommodate her length and weight she lived in crane slings until June 11 when she was first launched on Perry Lake. 

Although she needs work (what 20 year old boat doesn't?) we are very proud of our old girl, and other boaters have come from every part of the lake to tell us how beautiful she is. And while she's content to sail Perry Lake for now, within the next 7-10 years we hope to move her to a body of water that will be more fitting for her "off shore" design (we're considering Wisconsin's Lake Michigan, as well as Puget Sound, Washington); eventually we'd like to try our own hand at some ocean sailing.

Well, that's all the important information you should know. If you have questions about Aria or comments of any sort, please feel free to contact us at pyrates@sail-aria.com. Thanks again for coming aboard, and enjoy our photos.