An Update on the Very Possible Return of Favorite (Barefoot) Windjammers

There's good news out of Florida, where a rich entrepreneur named Charles Kropke has just bought the 70-passenger, 240-foot sailing ship, the Mandalay, from the people who had earlier obtained it from the now-defunct Barefoot Windjammer Cruises. You will of course recall the legendary,wind-driven cruiseline that operated several ships all throughout the Caribbean, booked by a fiercely-loyal group of adventuresome vacationers who loved the informal camaraderie and sea-loving life aboard. The new resurrection of Barefoot Cruises will begin sailing out of a port still to be publicly named (approvals are pending), weekly beginning in May, but the ultimate name of the new company isn't yet fully determined. It is presently called Windjammer Sailing Adventures, and whether the word "Barefoot" will also make an appearnce isn't yet known.
 
In any event, you might want to begin haunting the internet for prices and details for booking the new cruiseline, if you're among that legion of loyalists for its famous rum swizzles, its playing of "Amazing Grace" on a loudspeaker, its tradition of frequently permitting passengers to sleep on deck. There is a Facebook page for Windjammer Sailing Adventures ( www.facebook.com/WindjammerSailingAdventures ), and I would also expect a normal website to make its appearance soon.