Don’t Forget: Robert Perry on Sunday
"No, I am not retired. Far from it. I am as busy as ever and enjoying each new project. My boats tend to be a bit ‘off mainstream’ and I think that is a good thing. I like to stretch my design legs and try unusual projects. I have this idea that boats should enhance the aesthetics of their environment," said Robert Perry on his website. The legendary Northwest boatbuilder will be giving a lecture at Sausalito Yacht Club on Sunday from 3:30 p.m. to 5. To make reservations, please follow this link.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Perry spent much of his boyhood in Sydney, Australia, before his family moved back to the US, settling in Seattle. "I got interested in boats in the eighth grade. I had to do a presentation to the class using ‘visual aids’. For some odd reason I chose sailing. I had never sailed. We were not a boating family. But my dear old dad had a reverence for boats and I guess he passed that along to me. Soon I was reading everything I could get my hands on about sailing. I became quite expert in the history of the clipper ships. I would make mock voyages and fill out a log entry every night noting another day’s record run. I began building models of sailing ships. I joined the Sea Scouts. I was soon buying sailing magazines and devouring them. One afternoon I picked up a copy of Boating and on the cover was a nice photo of a Rhodes designed Chesapeake 32. Lightning struck. I had never seen a thing designed by man that had so much beauty. I decided I would not go into the Coast Guard after all. I’d become a yacht designer."
"I am active on Facebook, and there is even a Robert H. Perry Fan Club. No, I did not start the fan club and I was very flattered that others did. We now have almost 800 members of the club and it’s a great place to exchange ideas and information on Perry designs. I update my current work on there each week. We also go off on some funny tangents once in a while, you know how sailors are. We are an eclectic and energetic group."
This Sunday’s event is BYOB — that’s Bring Your Own Books for Perry to sign (and fear not, there is a bar at SYC). For more information, please go to the Latitude 38 Facebook page. We hope to see you there!
