| Dear Friends:
The day was warm and still. Birds squealed and flitted
in the bushes just a dozen yards from us. The quiet
sounds of motors marked the to-ing and fro-ing of boats
in the busy marina a few hundred yards to the south.
The occasional light lapping of water against Taliesin's
hull reminded us that she was restless to be away from
her winter berth. But as the two of us worked sanding
her cabin sides, chatting about our summer plans, remembering
past pleasures, I was transported back through the years
to the days we'd had together when we first met. Larry
was a yacht skipper in Newport Beach back then. I was
a bookkeeper/piano player from the San Fernando Valley
who knew nothing about boats. On one of our first dates
he had to finish some deck work before we could go play
together. I joined in to speed things along and two
or three hours later commented, "This isn't like
work. This is a great way to spend an afternoon."
Larry's answer came back to me now, "if it's for
the man, its work. If I was doing it on my own boat
I'd feel it was a treat."
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Back on board Taleisin, I was going through some
photos and reminiscing. Here I am putting provisions
on board in Madiera for an Atlantic crossing. Sure
is easier to provision around the Gulf Islands. |
It has been a treat over the past few weeks since we
returned to find Taleisin in fine condition in Victoria.
Hidden Harbour, which has become our unofficial winter
base, is unique. A tiny privately owned marina at the
Esquimalt end of the Victoria harbour, it is home to
a dozen liveaboards, plus its owner and family who live
in the apartment above the marina. Because of the layout,
we can park our pickup truck/camper about 100 feet away
from Taleisin which means we can use the camper as a
spare bedroom. Local shops are just over ½ mile
walk, downtown Victoria is 1-1/2 miles the other way,
and can be reached by a lovely boardwalk that skirts
the waters edge. Or if we prefer we can take the tiny
ferry from the next marina and be in downtown even quicker.
With this easy living arrangement, we found we didn't
move directly on board, but slowly savoured life on
two levels, water level for cooking on board Taleisin,
street level for sleeping as we removed winter covers,
put a fresh coat of varnish on spars and hatches, and
caught up with a lot of friends. Then there was the
Folk festival in and around downtown to fill several
afternoons, and just sitting and talking to the other
folks on the docks, rowing out to set my crab trap (unsuccessfully
but it didn't matter as I had a fine piece of fresh
salmon waiting for dinner). For the first time in years
we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere, we were just messing
around in boats and I loved it.
 |
It's been fun catching up with old friends as we
cruise waters where Larry grew up. Even caught up
with an Ocean Cruising Club Rendezvous, a club founded
by Humphrey Barton and Mary Barton. We joined when
we were in Malta on Seraffyn back in 1974. Took
this picture of Mary and Hump back then. Hump crossed
the Atlantic for the last time at the age of 81.
Mary, at an age she says is - 85 plus, is still
sailing and flying all over the world. |
But of course there comes a time when you look at each
other and say, enough is enough, we are definitely taking
the easiest option here. So we drove Brownie the truck
up to Canoe Cove, twenty miles from Victoria, where
Doug Barron, another sailor who is trying for endless
summers, has a tiny marina and spare land. With Brownie
safely stored away we set sail and were reminded just
how much we love this boat of ours. With breezes that
never got over 10 knots and often were only 3 or 4,
we crossed the straits to the San Juan Channel and headed
up to Friday Harbour for clearance into American waters.
(Interestingly customs clearance required we tie at
the customs dock, but no one came down to see us. Instead
I spoke into a telephone with a special video camera
next to it, showed our passports to the camera, answered
questions, smiled at the camera when asked and agreed
to leave my grapefruit and lemon which I had bought
in Canada in a bag next to the customs office then we
were given a long clearance number and wished good sailing.
 |
This is another bit of reunion nostalgia. Jimmy
Moore is a favorite sailing friend from the days
when Larry and I first met. He loaned us the old
house Larry and I lived in while we built Taleisin
in the mountains 40 miles southwest of Riverside
California. |
Talk of faceless officialdom. But she did have a pleasant
voice and manner.) We are now officially on our way
to no where and enjoying one more wonderful aspect of
"just messing around in boats" as Taleisin
lays quietly at anchor, Larry lazes the day away reading
a good book, I answer letters and plan a rendezvous
ashore with Barbara Merritt, a woman sailor I have met
two dozen times in two dozen places. The weather is
glorious, there are some interesting boats anchored
near by, we've chosen the next islands we want to explore
when we set sail tomorrow…wonder who and what will
happen into our lives as we meander through these island
filled waters. Only definite plan is to hopefully meet
our friends, old and new, in September when we have
Taleisin in Seattle for the Lake Union in the Water
Boats Afloat show.
 |
As we cruise through these lovely islands on board
Taleisin, we are keeping an eye out for more second
hand rubber shelled blocks to use in re-rigging
our second love, Thelma. The blocks we like were
originally made by South Coast and have soft brown
shells and bronze strapping. They look far more
appropriate than the stainless steel blocks we have
been replacing. |
Happy messing about in boats to all of you,
Lin and Larry
P.S. Hope those of you who have received the bonus CD
interview of Larry and I offered by Paradise Cay with
our Cruising
DVD's, enjoyed the talk. It was done by telephone
between New Zealand and California very early one morning
just before we actually purchased Thelma.
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