The Proud Parent – "Gallant Fox" wrapped in plastic, newly arrived from Sweden.
The Alaska Eagle is a 65′ Sparkman and Stevens designed cutter that was in the Whitbread around the World race sometime in the 1970’s or so. Its original name was "Flyer’ The boat is now operated as an ocean going classroom for would be cruisers by the Orange Coast College of Seamanship. http://www.occsailing.com/pages/eagle.html. We sailed on the leg in 2001 that went from Easter Island to Puerto Montt, Chile – a distance of about 2,400 miles. We would recommend this type of training to anyone thinking about going offshore. We picked this leg because we knew it would be very frisky, since it was early spring, and it ranged between the Horse Latitudes at Easter Island – 27′ South latitude – down into 42′ South latitude where we could pick the Westerlies. Needless to say, we had both calms and gales on the trip. Our view about sailing and heavy weather were profoundly altered by this experience. Here is a copy of the thank you letter we sent to the Skipper and First Mate – Rich and Sheri Crowe. They are both still skippering the Eagle over the Western Pacific for some part of the year.
Underway in the Gallant Fox off the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada.
July 25,2002
Dear Sheri, Rich, and Vito:
Marianne and I wanted to write and thank you for the great experience we had sailing on Alaska Eagle from Easter Island to Puerto Montt.
October 2001 seems like a long time ago now. We have been following Eagle, and you three, through her adventures on the web site since then. In some ways, its almost like we were still there. Crews repeatedly reported about Vito’s wonderful cooking, Rich and Sheri’s patience, and the great efforts you three make to ensure a successful voyage. MS and I would agree with all of this.
Rich told us that a lot of the things we learned on the Eagle would not be apparent, but might come to fruition several years down the road. It’s not like a manual, or a class that you experience for a few hours. I remember being on the pitching foredeck in the storm right at dusk, when Rich told us that if you go overboard, you are lost. Period. Or the way Sheri constantly monitored the running backstay tension through the night as we nursed the boat and its cracked mast through the storm. I remember how hard all three of you worked to keep our spirits up during the storm – watching your behavior during this dangerous time, and how you all calmly dealt with whatever came along, was the best lesson of all. I will always remember when Sheri was hit in the middle of the night by something resembling a fifty-gallon barrel of seawater thrown sideways. She laughed long and hard while driving the boat up a thirty-foot high wall of water.
The wind and waves of Puget Sound are not the same anymore. After 35-foot waves, 50 plus knot winds, and the white waves of water hitting the Eagle, there is very little that frightens us about the Sound anymore. We look at each other and smile knowingly – this is not the roaring 40’s. And our mast is not broken.
These lessons have helped us as we put together our new boat – Gallant Fox. We both know we are prone to seasickness, so we will prepare accordingly when we next go offshore. In looking back at my own experiences on Eagle I feel a lot like the Homer Simpson of offshore sailing. I always seemed to be about a half a beat behind the rest of the crew – MS always said I had a unique way of learning. From the Eagle though, I took a set of experiences and impressions that continue to resonate.
We wish you all best – may we meet once again in the fjords of Chile.
MS speaking, now:
Rich, Sheri, Vito – you and the Eagle taught us many lessons, but you also taught us a different way of seeing. Gary and I continue to experience the vagaries of sailing (shackles loosening, lines fouling, weather suddenly shifting), but it seems that after our time on the Eagle we are able to learn more from the things that happen to us. We each seem to have internalized broad principles, rather than having simply learned specific ways of doing specific things. We now understand better what is happening, and recognize more of what we need to do, when things go awry. For broadening our minds, and allowing us to better understand what is going on around us, Gary and I continue to thank you every time we go out on the water. Our new sailboat, Gallant Fox, would also like to thank you because after having sailed on the Eagle, her skipper and crew are now better able to understand what she is trying to tell them! So, for all your generosity, patience, and attention to the mistakes and fumblings of two novices, thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
MS underway at the Broken Group, Canada
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