Words of Wisdom: Thanks to Lin Pardey

Last winter at a new event I worked on called NW Maritime Spring Boating Symposium, Lin Pardey gave a talk called The Compelling Life of Adventure. Boom! Little did I know how it would ring in my ears six months later when I turned 50.

First, you should know that I've worked with Lin through at least 4 other events connected to Wooden Boat Festivals. I've been a fan of her writing and their adventures for more than a decade using their advice while sailing around the world. I'd also been fortunate to get an early copy of her book Bull Canyon while spending a month writing in my own arid canyon, so I thought I was pretty "caught up" on their advice.

Second, being the director of this and other first-time events, I knew I wouldn't get to enjoy the Symposium. At best, I'd get snippets

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Ideal First Mate or Co-Captain?

Are you the ideal First Mate, or do you have one? Is the Mate your husband, partner, dream, a friend? I recently exchanged emails with two women in very different circumstances and it reminded me of something Nancy posted on her website years ago. In fact it's still there, so I'm hoping she'll "post" here and give further comment. She wrote: "Kaci is an avid reader, published writer, diesel mechanic, tobasco connoisseur and somewhat irreverant Mate and Kaci loves sailing. She has single-handed Tethys between Malaysia and Thailand, holds her USCG 50-ton license, Ham radio license and absolutely does not dive! Her circumnavigation will be complete in Panama, but Nancy's "ideal first mate" will continue to teach aboard Tethys all the way home to Seattle, 2001." I'm sure I did not fit the description some of the guys I know would like to see in a First Mate, nor would I come anywhere close to ideal with the irreverant part, surely! As women, what are your ideals regarding either having or being a First Mate? One of the two women writing has had a partner/husband who is the First Mate. Her boat, 4th Chakra, is pictured here with her at the helm. The other woman is mostly a singlehander, now in the western Pacific, would very much love to have a companion onboard, both for safety and whatever else. Both these women are experienced women captains, boat owners and expressed an interest in exploring this topic with other women. What do you think about "The Ideal First Mate" as a topic for a day and half SailAway Seminar in Port Townsend? The ideal First Mate will also conjure up issues for the Ideal Captain as well. Post suggestions for or about any topics you'd like to see offered at a SailAway Seminar this next year. Check back to the website or email if you'd like to receive news of what, when and how much for the 2006

Mighty Mary & John, Pacific Seacraft duo

There's nothing like dragging anchor in ultra remote Chagos, Christmas in European/NorthAmerican eclectic ways under palm trees in San Blas or the passage from Madagascar to South Africa to build life-long friendships. While I've stayed in touch with many former cruising friends, it's always nice to hear from more and to connect more often. Mary McCollum and now, husband, John Hicks are two such friends (photo taken July 05). I first met Mary when she was singlehanding Mighty Merry Too, her Pacific Seacraft 24'. I had just crossed the Tasman from Australia to New Zealand and was in the early stages of a research study documenting stories of women sailors. She had been caught by a nasty blow off the coast of NZ prior to our arrival and was recuperating from a broken back. John was on another Pacific Seacraft, also singlehanding. Years later, I saw them again, this time together, sailing on the larger of their two boats, renamed Duet. From meeting in New Zealand in 1993, we met again in South Africa and now, they live ashore in Port Townsend, less than 5 blocks from me. Other cruisers I've heard from recently are Paula & Vigo on Marijke, Silvija & Egon on Magnum Bonum, Peter & Carda on Shemali Blue, Mary & Rick on Tranquility, Tricia & Art on Cynosure and Thalia & Bob on Renaissance. They are in Alaska, Sweden, England, Rhode Island, Florida and Maryland respectively. Small world? Yes, thankfully.

Kurt & PL of SV OSPREY

We've all got stories. Some of them are passionately inspiring, others the mad excuse we used to propel us around the world on sail boats. Kurt and PL's story is different, or at least it seemed so when I met them in 1995.

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Custom Steel Boat: Kim Bushnell & Puna

The boat on the far left in this photo is Puna, a 27 foot steel boat built and owned by Kim Bushnell of Nanaimo, British Columbia. I first met Kim in Cape Town, South Africa. We had Tethys at the Victoria & Albert Marina and were preparing for a learning crew member from Victoria, Jane, to come aboard for the crossing to St. Helena and Brazil. Kim is from a well known sailing family in British Columbia (her father is Winston Bushnell), so besides a wonderful northwest North American celebration, we were fascinated to hear her stories when as a girl they were pitchpoled off the Cape we'd just come around the week before! Sobering. In 2001, Kim had hopes of building her own boat with her father and this morning, I'm proud to see that she not only built it, but she's out sailing! Here's a photo Lin & Larry Pardey sent yesterday with their latest cruising news. One of their boats, Taleisin is to the far right in this photo where they were cruising the northwest in summer 2005. Kim designed and built Puna in conjunction with her father on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. She was excited by the fact that she could build the boat herself, at a reasonable cost, and that with some welding skills, she could repair the boat anywhere in the world. If you're interested in building a steel boat, this is a woman to meet! Email kaci@concentricom.com and send me your contact information. I'll do my best to connect you.