LAST WTNTER A FEw of us got togetherand decided to hold an "OffshoreParty." The party was mentioned dur-ing the Blue Water Cruising lecturesat the Vancouver Museum and Plane-tarium. and in Spyline in the Marchissue of pACIFIC yACHTTNG. The wordspread rapidly, and within a few weeksmost of the tickets had been sold, andwe'd received some 75 le ters fromall parts of Western Canada, Oregon,California, and even as far away as thePhilippines whence William Seminoffphoned to say he'd just received theMarch issue of pACrFrc yecgrrNc, andhe could join us if we'd hold the partya week later.

On April 22, the 250 sailors turnedup at Vancouver Rowing Club's pre-mises to swap sea stories over a lateevening meal, and get to know oneanother. The well-known ocean sailorand writer Miles Smeeton, formerowner of Tzu Hang, made a specialtrip out from his wildlife sanctuaryin Alberta, his wife Berl was in China,but daughter Clio came from her homein the Gulf Islands. Arctic sailor

Willi de Roos, of Williwaw, was alsoone of the guests. Some of the Van-couver Island sailors brought theirboats over; slips were arranged forthem, either at the Vancouver RowingClub, or at one of the other marinas.

At the party was an 8'x20' worldmap constructed by Thunderbirdsailors Paul and Doreen Watson.Those who had sailed offshore alltraced their trips on the map. WhenArctic sailor Sven Johanson, who hadsailed from Inuvik to Vancouveraboard North Star ol Herchell Islandwent to trace his trip, he suggestedto Doreen that there appeared to bea few more islands in the Arctic thanwhen he last saw it. But the map wasvery well done indeed, and by thetime all the passages were traced, theoceans of the world looked pretty welltravelled by smal! boats.

There were four circumnavigations.two via Cape Horn, and one transitof the North West Passage. Othervoyages covered most parts of theworld; some had gone to Japan,others through the Suez Canal, Medi-

terranean, Indonesia, Caribbean andof course the South Pacific. The mosttravelled route was from Vancouverto Hawaii.

Dr. Charlie Gould lsrrocyte, wasthe Master of Ceremonies, and atintervals he would introduce some ofthe guests. When he introduced Patand Kurt Frost of Desert Flower,who have been cruising for I I years,and before that had travelled bymoped across Africa, and then startedtheir sailing on an Arab Dhow, MilesSmeeton with a look of delight onhis face and a big grin said with en-thusiasm "Everybody's here!"

Local merchants as well as privateindividuals had donated a number ofdoor prizes. Ham radio operatorGerry dnscomb, who does most ofthe phone patching for overseasyachts, was one of the lucky winners.'['he prrzc was in torm of a gift cer-tificate. Gerry who is blind, chose aship's ckrck that chimes every quarterhour. Bnt this particular clock musthave been meant for Gerry, becauseit also gives a special little ting at8:40, the time that Gerry goes onthe air.

The party had another specialfunction, and that was to launch TheBIue Water Cruising Association ofBritish Columbia, the founding mem-bers being the same group of offshoresailors that had got the party rolling.

The purposes of the Society are:1) To foster an active interest in off-

shore sailing;2) to provide an opportunity for the

exchange of views;3) to provide for an exchange of

charts, books, equipment, andschool supplies amongst the mem-bers of the Association;

4) to assist communication for cruis-ing members by maintaining a

roster of those offshore, their Io-cation, itinerary, radio call signs,etc. and to forward mail and relaymessages if requested;

5) to extend a welcome to visitingoffshore sailors;

6) to encourage social functionswithin the Association; and

finally, to carry on the Association

From top left: Kelly & Sam Sydneysmith, Patrick Taylor, Dr. Charlie Goutd, Dick Johnson,Sven Johanson, Cleo Smeeton, Miles Smeeton, Karl Kmulsen. Row 2: Mr. & Mrs. JohnPantling, Anita Johnson, Jill Sydneysmith, Liv Kennedy, Heinz Cienciala, SteveDickenson, Esther Dickenson. Row 3: Ruth Gould, Willie de Roos, Ches Rickard, JillBaty, Claude Cronhelm, Theresa Luca, Florence Fukahara, Muriel Cieciala, David Upton,Graham Darby Taylor. Next to Win Rickard in front, Harold Clay Jr. and Joyce Clay,Sandra Cronhelm, Sandy and husband Dr. John F_l-ttt!bUr!.

24 Pacific Yachting

THE OFFSHOREPEOPLE

Offshore crowd formBlue Water Cruising Assoc.

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