The Drechslers Reach the Bay

When last we heard from Dick and Sharon Drechsler, they were prepping their Long Beach-based Catalina 470 Last Resort for a trip down the beach from Puget Sound. After a month-long exploration of the coast, including the Columbia River as far up as the Bonneville Locks, the Drechslers pulled into the Bay yesterday afternoon. Their plan is to spend the next few weeks visiting old friends and making new ones before heading to San Diego for the start of the ‘Sweet Sixteen’ Baja Ha-Ha.

Dick will also be giving a series of talks at Bay Area yacht clubs to discuss his recently released book, Manning Up in Alaska, which details his 50 years of sailing, his battle with cancer, and his determination to get back to the lifestyle he loved. Between cruising and writing, Dick serves on the Board of Directors of the Sail Through Cancer Foundation, an organization he founded to help get cancer patients out on the water on volunteer boats as a brief respite from the rigors of their treatment. If you can’t make one of Dick’s talks, he and Sharon will be at Encinal YC on September 9 for our Mexico-Only Crew List Party & Baja Ha-Ha Reunion (6-9 p.m.; $7 admission).