Introduction (Part 3)

While in the Air Force, I was lucky enough to have a special assignment in Great Britain. I was there for just a short period of time. On one weekend we were free with no missions.  I rented a car and drove to Glasgow with SSgt Brown "Brownie". It had been 10 years since I last saw uncle Edward. It was a great reunion. The Rosalie was on the hard (on land). The maintenace was too much for uncle Edward to keep up with. That was to be the last time I would see him.  Still, I think back to that time and feel happy. Uncle Edward got to know me as an adult.

For more years than I can remember, I dreamed about sailing across the Atlantic. I dreamed of what it would have been like on the Rosalie with uncle Edward. Then I dreamed of sailing on the Atlantic in my own boat. It seemed to be a fitting way to honour the man who ignited my passion for all things nautical.

Linda and I talked about all the details of this adventure. First we needed a boat. Then I needed to fill the voids in my sailing skills. Most importantly, We had to follow a simple creed; one which was drilled into me by my first flight instructor, Jim: "Safety First". As usual, Linda was completely supportive.

It had been many years since I stepped on a sailboat. So, I started looking for a small 24-26 foot boat. Linda came home the next day from work and asked what I thought about this boat and handed me a printout. It was a 32 foot boat!

This was to be our first Distant Horizon; a Columbia Payne 9.6. We sailed this boat on Seneca Lake for one season before moving her to the Great Lake Ontario. This was a more fitting body of water for the boat and preparation for my dream.

Distant Horizon anchored in Carlton Island's South Bay

Our tentative plan was to use Lake Ontario as a proving ground for the boat. Then, I would sail her to Bermuda as a sea trial to test the boat and myself for the transatlantic voyage. While talking with the head of the US Coast Guard's cartography group, he asked why I was sailing on Lake Ontario. I explained to him the plan. He just laughed, then told me about his Coast Guard adventures, which started with a 6 year tour on Lake Ontario. His advice was to go to Bermuda, it would be a good sea-trial for Lake Ontario!

Linda had cancer. Each year, the doctors would discover a mass, always in early May. Linda would have treatments and when she felt better we would go sailing. Our sailing seasons were growing shorter.  I would use the time we weren't sailing to do work and make changes to the boat.

During the winter of 2013 Linda asked how long would it take me to finish the work I was doing on the boat. I told her I needed 3 months starting with warmer weather. The next day Linda told me that we needed a new boat; one that was ready to sail. I told her we could get a small boat, but she wanted to get one that could also fulfill my dreams.

In the spring of 2014 we had another boat and named that Distant Horizon. Most people serialize their boat name with a roman numeral. I did not like Distant Horizon II as a name. Linda came up with the name originally and I wanted to keep that name. The official name identifying a boat is the name plus the port of call. The Columbia was Distant Horizon, Fair Haven, NY. So, the new boat became Distant Horizon, Syracuse, NY. 

Distant Horizon at dock in Annapolis, MD

I know uncle Edward would approve of Distant Horizon. He loved teak, and Distant Horizon is adorned with lots of teak on the outside as well as the interior.

Introduction (Part 2)

During the summer of '67, I was on an amazing adventure. I had just crossed the Atlantic Ocean on an ocean liner. After which, I was living in Scotland with my grandmother at her youngest brother's house... my Uncle Edward's house.

Over the summer, mostly on weekends, we travelled to Edinburgh, Sterling, Inverness, Loch Ness, and the Scottish Highlands. I was learning some of the history of Scotland: wars that were fought; and buildings built before Christopher Columbus came to North America.

One such weekend trip, my grandmother took me to Skerray. A small village in northern Scotland. There we visited with my grandmother's best friend's family; that of my Aunt Jean. While there, it was decided I should dress up for church. At it so happened, they had a kilt, jacket, sporran, et al. that fit me. So, I dressed in the clan MacDonald colours, as shown in the photo below.

Kevin, dressed in the traditional Scottish Highlands manner for Sunday mass

During the week, we stayed close to Glasgow. Uncle Edward and I would take a bus and then, walk to his mooring in Clydebank. We would row out to his mooring to work on his boat: Rosalie.

The Rosalie has a story of her own, which is worth telling. During World War II, the Queen Mary was used to transport troops across the Atlantic. In the process, she had been shot up by German U-Boats (submarines). Thankfully, she was never torpedoed. At one point she was sent back to the John Brown shipyards in Glasgow, Scotland. There, she was repaired and refitted. This work included the replacement of the old lifeboats with a newer design.  The older lifeboats came with oars and a short mast. The newer lifeboats had a diesel engine.

The Queen Mary was originally built in the John Brown shipyards. These famous shipyards were the birthplace of many great ships: Lusitania, Empress of Britain, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II (QE2). Many naval ships were also built here.

Uncle Edward was working in the shipyards at the time. He purchased one of the older lifeboats. Over the years, he converted the lifeboat into a cabin cruiser/motor sailer and named the boat Rosalie; after his wife.

It was on the Rosalie that Uncle Edward taught me what it meant to be a seaman. I learned to tie knots;  work on diesel engines; the care of wooden boats; reading tide tables; coastal navigation; and among other things, sailing.

During this time, we spent many days working on the Rosalie, and also spent several nights on her. As I looked off the stern (back), I could see the River Clyde and the John Brown shipyard on the far bank. At night, there were lots of lights and all kind of activity. They were building the Queen Elizabeth 2, simply referred to as the QE2.

Construction of the Queen Elizabeth 2 at the John Brown Shipyard, Glasgow, Scotland

QE2 Departing along the River Clyde

Uncle Edward's dream was to sail the Rosalie across the Atlantic to New York. In those days, you could count solo sailors on one hand. He would not take that voyage alone. After working together for the summer, he decided that he and I could do it together. Aunt Rose was concerned, but Uncle Edward addressed all those concerns. My grandmother trusted her brother's judgement. My mother, also trusted uncle Edward's judgement and that was reenforced by her mother's approval. So, why didn't we do it? My father answered with an emphatic "No!".