I sit enjoying the late August Sun of British Columbia, preparing to return to our boat for the second attempt at this goal of ours (thanks Covid!). For whatever reason, I am now motivated to tell the story of how I came to be so enthralled with the idea of sailing. I want to share with you the details – the people & stories that set my imagination alight. This dream did not take shape in a single explosive moment, but instead slowly built up like the undeniable depositing of sand where a river meets the ocean.
Auditing myself, I realize that I have always loved boats; their unique shape and contours, and what they can do. In the early years of growing up I had access to a canoe and rowboats, and as time went on Seado’s and powerboats. Being out on the water always kept me interested. There was the challenge of getting out there, and a stark contrast to the noisy hustle & bustle of city living.
Allen & Sharie Farrell
My brother, friend and I had built a floating lemonade stand and used diving fins to maneuver it NNW of Edgecombe Island on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, not far from Pender Harbour. If I remember correctly, we only sold lemonade to one customer that day, and it was none other than B.C. entertainer & legend Miles Ramsay, who my friends and I knew affectionately as the “Chevron Guy” from the commercials we had seen on TV. As impressive and kind as he was to patron our business, it was the boat that he came over from that had me awe-struck. It turns out he was visiting with Allen & Sharie Farrell. I don’t remember seeing the name of the boat, but I do recall it was a beautiful chinese junk rigged vessel. Seeing that beautiful boat motivated me to learn more, and it was through that process that I learned of Allen & Sharie Farrell’s life in BC; a fascinating story.
Weekend sailing with a client
Over time I had developed a friendly relationship with one of my clients who happened to have a small Catalina sailboat moored at the Deep Cove Yacht Club in North Vancouver. No doubt seeing my interest in the world of sailing by this point, he generous extended an offer to crew for him during the weekend club races. My girlfriend at the time (now wife) and I looked forward to those weekends. The casual social atmosphere and sheltered environment made for ideal circumstances to “get our feet wet”. As many will know, there are many terms to learn, physics to unravel, and procedures to follow.
Discovering the SV Delos Channel on YouTube.
I am not the biggest fan of TV series because I find that I do not sit down consistently enough to watch them and keep the story fresh in my mind. On top of that I prefer “reality tv” and not the popular kind, more like documentaries. For this reason, YouTube suits me so well – I can take as much or as little as I want, when I want. Upon discovering the SV Delos adventure in the early days of their trip I was hooked and followed every episode for years thereafter. There in front of me was a young couple around my age, that was previously engaged in the business world and now on an adventure escape. I could relate to this. Once the party really got rocking (around when Brady got onboard, and then Josje), I started thinking about ways that I might pull off a similar adventure in my own life. It would be years until the opportunity arose for the wife and I to be able to push forward our own sailing dream.