Shearwater's New Custodian
So here’s a fun small world story. It starts with Bruce. I can’t remember when I met him, but it was during
college years and there was a group of us with a common attraction to boats,
water, and Islands. And, perhaps, just a
little bit of beer. I had made my first
foray up to Alaska aboard a leaky wooden sailboat with no electronics back in
1978. It must have been ’83 when Bruce
and I hatched a plan to take his soon to be new boat up to Juneau and Glacier
Bay. He bought a 21’ Bayliner and called
it “Moxee”. We ended up taking that pocket
rocket up to Juneau and Glacier Bay and started tacking more stories to our
fairly long list of stories even then.
Bruce still retells them. Some of
them are actually true.
Over the years, Moxee gave way to Moxee II, then Moxee
III. Power boats all, the last one a Trawler. Each a platform for fun and adventure with
family and friends. Then he went back to
his roots and bought a beautiful blue hulled passport 40, “Shearwater”.
I was fortunate enough to be on her during one of her first shake
down cruises. A rollicking sail over to
Friday Harbor with some excitement.
We nearly dismasted it (the starboard upper was the leeward shroud and I
just happened to notice it had become disconnected just prior to a planned tack),
then we lost the inflatable, and when we cranked on the engine, the chop had
shaken sediment laying in the fuel tank and clogged the fuel intake line. Under sail alone we sailed into Friday Harbor
for a picture perfect dead stick landing.
From our perspective. For the
crew on the ‘Silver Shalis’, it was nerve racking. A nearly 200 feet, the brand spanking new Delta Yacht had its owner on for his first stay on his new Mega yacht. With the Shalis crew pearing down from above, we greased down the side of it under
sail alone to stick the landing in the open dock in front of the Shalis. The owner had recently received a 4 billion
dollar insurance payout from one of his properties. The downed twin towers in New York.
Over the years, Bruce and Carol lavished love and adventures
on that boat. It was a fresh water boat and
they transformed it into a full fledge all season cruising sailboat. 6 or so years ago I was up in Desolation
Sound, ran into Bruce as well as Andy and Jill Cross. We tied the 3 boats together, enjoyed a great day – so much so we simply hit ‘repeat’ for the next day. One of the truly great cruising memories. For 11 years that boat was upgraded, loved,
and used.
Fast forward a couple of years. I can’t remember when I met Kristin
Pederson. It may have been at one of the
Sloop Tavern Cruises, but I became a fan of hers. Solid sailor, competent, and I followed her
and Elena’s "Team Kelp" R2AK bid in 2017. So much so
that I would wake up and yell at my screen when I saw they were sleeping way too
much and not attacking the race as aggressively as I thought they should (they
had no intention of attacking it aggressively and if I do that race again, I may
take a page out of their book). Kristin
has been aboard Cambria with friends for dinner and helped on Race Committees
aboard Cambria. She was always thinking
2 or 3 steps ahead and had knack of being at the right place at the right time.
My perception was confirmed when I spoke to a very tenured delivery
captain with whom she had sailed. He had
a very high opinion of her seamanship skills.
Praise I don’t think he gives out often.
Up until a few weeks ago, Bruce and Kristin didn’t know each
other and I’ve never mentioned one to the other. Two completely different phases of my life two
completely different groups of friends.
Bruce lives in Anacortes, Kristin in Seattle. No overlap at all. Until I get two messages spaced about a minute
apart.
Kristin: “I think I
might buy a boat and the current owner says he knows you. His name is Bruce Van Iterson”
Bruce: “Do you know Kristin
Pederson?”
And so the beautiful blue hulled passport 40, “Shearwater”,
goes from one quality set of hands to another set of quality hands. It’s been fun to watch.
