| I was able to make it to Norman and Mary Ann Baker's talk at Mechanics Hall. I
would guess attendance at 150 people. This made the main hall fairly sparsely
populated.
I arrived a few minutes late, so I missed the introduction.
Norman Baker especially has considerable sailing experience. Among other things
he was on the crew of Thor Hierdahls (sic?) Ra and Ra II (as navigator). As a
family the Bakers had decided to set out on a world cruise. They found a
well worn schooner Anne Kristina in the BVI. The boat was surveyed as needing
some minor repairs before being worthy for this task.
By the time they had finished removing the rot, I would guess over half of the
planking was replaced and one third of the frames were sistered. In addition,
ALL of their spares were rotted. The foremast was so bad that when the stays
were removed it literally fell over. The time for refit changed from months
to over two years. The family fiances were exhausted and they sold their home
to finish the job. When complete, the Anne Kristina was in Bristol fashion and
had the distinction of being the oldest sail boat in continuous service. They
chartered her for a number of years, but never made it around the world. She
was lost in hurricane Grace, under the command of a delivery captain. In spite
of the passage of time, you can still hear the anguish and frustration in
Norman Baker's voice as he describes this loss. I believe he feels that if the
delivery captain had dogged all hatches and vents properly, primed the main
pumps, picked the correct side of the hurricane to encounter, that Anne
Kristina may still be sailing. He had nothing but praise for the efforts of
the Coast Guard and Anne Kristina. Anne Kristina was last seen, having never
taken a life, including the "Rescue of the year" which saved the delivery crew.
The lecture matched the film, which was a composite of home movies. The quality
of the filming ranged for good amateur to professional. The resulting film
of about 1 1/2 hours was enjoyable, especially when combined with the running
live narration.
I saw aspects of wooden boat construction and refit that would never have
been conveyed as well in writing. This included such mundane items as seizing
large lines, the construction and why mast partners are made so strong (the
mast should break at the deck, before the partners give way). There were
absolutely startling before and after shots of various portions of the ship.
The film and narrative gave a glimpse into the dedication and drive of the
entire Baker family as well as the demands on each individual as the natural
progression of time strived to pull them into their individual lifestreams.
This included the poignant decision to sell the family home in order to complete
the dream, and pressures on children gracefully entering adulthood.
Due to the demands of my own family, I was unable to attempt to talk to the
Bakers. However, if I accomplish even a fraction of what they have already
done, I will have left the world a richer place.
I agree with Don Thompson, that this lecture/presentation is worth seeing,
especially for those of us who seek an ideal to follow, a star to steer by,
or a mountain to climb.
Doug Clalfin
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| Pardon my ignorance, whats a mast partner?
Sounds like they put their heart into the boat and lost her. Guess you
had better be DAMM sure of your delivery Capt. if your going to invest
your life savings (and then some) into a boat.
When was Hurricane Grace, what year?
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