It started as a chance inquiry in summer 2005 and ended with a delightful evening of discussion and slides on June 20, 2006. Lin and Larry Pardey took a break from preparing Taleisin for her next cruise to come talk with South Sound Sailing Society Members about the cruising lifestyle, some of their adventures, and sailing in general.
Lin and Larry arrived early and stayed late. Members who showed up early to set up found the room already in order and little to do but hang out and chat with the two cruisers who have inspired countless sailors to set sail for distant horizons. An impromptu buffet dinner was assembled. Lin and Larry talked with Members who arrived early one-on-one and in small group discussions for over an hour before the doors officially opened for the evening’s event. Everyone I spoke with found them to be genuinely engaged and interested in our own adventures and experiences past, present, and future. They were at least as interested in hearing and talking with us about our own quests and questions as they were in telling of their own ventures.
The theme of their formal talk was 16 Ways to Keep Your Lover when cruising. What should couples, and anyone else, for that matter, expect when taking off on a long voyage? How can a tiny space provide for the physical and emotional needs of two different people with their own needs and expectations? How can the experience stay fresh and exciting over the years and miles?
They peppered their talk with anecdotes and tales from their nearly 40 years of cruising together. Lin is also a masterful photographer and shared a number of her slides, mostly from a remarkable overland journey they took in South Africa during one of their cruises. And there were books and videos, including the newly updated and released third edition of The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew, which has been out of print for a number of years. A few Members were especially pleased to find Larry’s books about boat design and wooden boat building. Lin and Larry graciously signed the many dog-eared, broken-binding old books that were reverently presented as well as the crisp new copies Members snapped up.
After the meeting was over and the room broken down the conversation was still flowing strong. So Lin and Larry joined about a dozen Members for a late dinner and cool beverage at the Fishbowl.
We had a full house, including a number of attendees who down from Seattle and Tacoma to hear the Pardeys and talk with them. I recognized a lot of faces and saw many that looked new. It’s likely that Lin and Larry introduced some sailing enthusiasts in our community to South Sound Sailing Society.
Many people helped with the arrangements that made this evening a success. In particular, I want to thank Jane and Glen Patrick and Mary Campbell, who staffed the book and video table. Those three handled sales for the Pardeys so they could talk with Members and sign books. Jane, Glen, and Mary were really busy both before and after the presentation!
I also want to thank Bob and Beth Connolly who handled arrangements with the Olympia Yacht Club for this special meeting, and secured a safe harbor for Brownie so that the Pardeys didn’t need to head back up the road after the meeting. Catch up with Beth sometime and ask her to tell you how she came to meet Lin and Larry.
In thinking back on the evening I saw interactions between Lin and Larry that seemed to continually underscore the theme of their talk. One in particular has stayed with me. That afternoon, as they were going through slides in preparation for their presentation, Lin and Larry were talking between themselves about the slides, some of which were from 20 years ago, and giggling over shared recollections like two young lovers still caught up in the rush of a new romance. After some 165,000 miles at sea together their lives and love are as fresh as the day they first set out on Seraffyn back in 1968. Lin and Larry will attest, there must be at least sixteen ways to keep your lover when cruising.
Thera Black