S/V Skylark

This site chronicles my adventure with S/V Skylark.

I purchased Skylark in late 2017. She is a 1985 Cape Dory 36, cutter rigged and a very well constructed vessel that just needs a little love. I do not know where this path will lead, but that's why its an adventure!

I grew up in Bellingham, Washington. My father, a University Professor at WWU, loved sailing. And, being on the Salish Sea, in the heart of the San Juan Islands, why wouldn't he. Over the years, in spite of his obvious hatred of boat ownership, he owned numerous sailboats. From a San Juan 23 (Ariel) to a CT 41 (Altair). This is how I discovered my passion for sailing and ultimately learned how to sail. As a kid, I loved hanging out at Squalicum harbor, pestering the contractors in the yard and helping my Dad with all the different boat projects. My favorite non-sailing days were the cold and windy days, the storms, the bad weather. When I was in my teens and twenties, I would go to the harbor during the worst storms and just walk the docks, especially in the evenings. It's very peaceful for me, when the wind is banging the halyards against the masts, the spray is crashing over the breakwater and the docks are thrashing about, making it difficult to walk. It sets a mood that I can't explain, but I feel very comfortable and calm. Unlike my Dad, I also loved the rough weather sailing. The colder and windier the better. I've heard the phrase, "Fair winds never made a good sailor". Perhaps this is true, but to me, fair seas get a little boring.

Squalicum Harbor

San Juan Islands - (Bellingham Top Right)

I think I was about 22 or 23 when I met a guy called Ray Thayer. He owned a massive 63' custom sailboat called "Wildthing". Oddly, I met Ray while servicing his home furnace, during the time when I was an HVAC Service Tech. I don't recall the catalyst of our sailing conversation, but he ended up asking me if I wanted to crew for him aboard "Wildthing". I gave him my card and expected never to hear from him again. Lo and behold, about a month later, he called and invited me to crew for the Oregon Offshore Race! I happily accepted. That particular race is a mid-March race, from Astoria, OR to Victoria, BC. Needless to say, the weather is blissfully horrible and cold. The ocean waves are huge and the winds are VERY strong. Long story short, I had a blast and we lost the race. That was the beginning of a great friendship and many more races for me to crew on.

Wildthing

Ray Thayer

Fast forward to brisk day in November of 2017, I went up to Annapolis to wander through the boat yards as I had many years prior. I happened to wander into a Yacht Brokers office and talked with the Broker for awhile. Needless to say, a couple months later, I was the proud owner of "Skylark", a 1985 Cape Dory 36 Cutter.

Skylark is a fantastic example of a Cape Dory 36 (CD36). She is clean and solid. The previous owner was diligent in keeping her functionality at the highest level and the owners before him were equally diligent in their record keeping. I hope to carry on that tradition to a parallel degree. That said, there are always things to fix, maintenance to be done and upgrades to be had. So, since March, I have been hard at work, ensuring Skylark has the love and attention she is accustomed to. So lets begin with the projects!!!

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