It was when I first started to sail seriously, and was living on my boat in Marina Del Rey, California (that's in Los Angeles, for the uninitiated) that I first became acquainted with the books of Lin and Larry Pardey. The Pardey's were one of the first cruising couples, sailing in the wake of Joshua Slocum, and among the first to seriously write about it, bringing that whole subculture of cruising sailors to public attention. I devoured their books, the narratives of their sailing adventures, starting with Cruising in Serraffyn as well as their how-too books, such as Capable Cruiser. In fact, I was ready to follow their example and head off cruising when the sailing ship Golden Hinde arrived in Marina Del Rey and my life spun off in another direction.
So, it was a great thrill to finally meet Lin and Larry in person at the Newport International Boat Show last month, where they and I were signing our new books. They were every bit as wonderful as I imagined they would be, personable and helpful, and with the sense of humor essential to successful sailing. As you can see from the above photo, Larry was even willing to interrupt his lunch to have his picture taken with me (though he was not willing to unhand the sandwich).
For anyone interested in small boat sailing, or armchair adventures at sea, the Pardey's books are a must.
Welcome back to blogging, Jim. The Pardeys were probably very much moved to hear from someone that they helped to influence to become a successful writer. Perhaps some day I can do the same thing for you. I attended a talk of yours several years ago, and was much impressed by your enthusiasm for your craft. That memory has helped motivate me to take a less desultory approach toward my own ramblings, and I am currently happily struggling through the dozenth re-write of my collection of stories. I have no idea if anything will ever come from my more applied approach to writing, but if it does and I actually get something published, I will be sure to let you know of your very important contribution. But, no, I won't give you my sandwich, either. (A beer on the other hand ... )
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