A Good Deed That Should Not Go Unnoticed
The Floathouse Petaluma, along with Petaluma Yacht Club volunteer sailors Rich Brazil and Stephen Hamilton, recently completed two four-day “Intro to Sailing” camps for kids ages 10 to 14. The camps were held in the Petaluma River Turning Basin in downtown Petaluma.
Twelve young students in all learned the basics of sailing and were soon flitting about the Turning Basin like moths. Their smiles of accomplishment in their El Toros made us proud.
The expansion of next year’s classes led me to Craigslist in search of larger dinghy sailboats. I came upon a 1969 Wayfarer, made popular in England. The listed price of $1000 was far out of my price range, so I sent an email politely asking if the owner would be interested in donating the vessel for a worthy cause. He quickly replied, “YES!”
His name is Erik. Erik lives in the Monterey area. I drove to Monterey the very next day to witness a completely restored sailing vessel, smartly decked out and resting nicely on a trailer. I was, and still am, flabbergasted and humbled by the generous gift provided by Erik. Many kids (and adults) will learn to sail on this fine sailboat. Thank you, Erik!
P.S. We are naming the sailboat Erik the Great.
I’m happy to hear of another Wayfarer in the Bay Area. I have restored and am racing Wayfarer hull number 153, Old Patch, built in Southampton, England in 1959. I’d enjoy a fleet cruise down the Petaluma River with Erik the Great. I’d also like to invite the PYC juniors to bring Erik to EYC for an Estuary Cruise or race. I would also be interested to hear of other local Wayfarers.
I’ve been trying to find a Wayfarer in the Monterey Bay area for several years. Please let me know if any are for sale in Northern California. I have a Tasar for sale or trade.
As a Brit I can tell you that the Wayfarer is perfect for the job!