My dictionary defines Canto, the name of our Wanderer, as: "One of the main or longer divisions of a long poem." If you will accept a long poem as a metaphor for a life of sailing, then the name perfectly fits our boat.

Most of my boats have been named "No Quorum." I started sailing in 1967, on a small, unnamed Sea Snark cartopper. I was the executive vice president of the Kingston (NY) Area Chamber of Commerce, on the Hudson River, ninety miles north of New York City.

The Snark was still on top of the car on Monday, following a great weekend of sailing. That early September morning was beautiful; a light, warm breeze, blue sky, a few puffy clouds, and I was in the office preparing for a luncheon meeting of my board of directors. Despite frequent trips to the window to gaze out at the glorious day, I knew I had a job to do. "Damn! If I didn't have that board meeting right in the middle of the day I could go sailing."

In mid-morning Jean, my administrative assistant, came into my office, a worried look on her face. I asked what was up. She said that a majority of the board members had reported that they would not be attending today's meeting. I smiled as I said: "No quorum? Then call those who responded in the affirmative and tell them that, as there is no quorum, the meeting has been canceled. Oh, and by the way, I'll be out for the rest of the day." It was a wonderful day of sailing.

The Sea Snark was really too small to put a name on, but when I moved up to a 19 foot daysailing dory ketch, "No Quorum" went right on the transom.

Decades later we bought J/22 #990 for one-design racing. Later that summer we also bought a Pearson 26, to be used mostly as a platform from which to run races for two different sailing clubs. The J/22 was already named "No Quorum." So what to name the Pearson 26? We had recently sold our meeting planning business and as I considered myself retired, "No Agenda" came to mind. It was in the same spirit and style as "No Quorum," yet was distinctive.

Eight years later we sold the 26 and bought our Pearson Wanderer. The J/22 had been sold several years earlier, so both names, "No Quorum" and "No Agenda" were available. Well, Peggy and I couldn't easily agree on waht name should go on the Wanderer. Finally we decided that the name that came on the Wanderer, "Canto" seemed to be an apt departure from our boats' tradition.