2020 Good News Wrap-UP!

Posted on December 14, 2020 by oceanexplorer

Over the next few weeks, the sun will reach the Tropic of Capricorn at 23.4 degrees south latitude, marking the winter solstice, after which the holidays will pass, and the New Year will be upon us. I’m sure many of you, including myself, will be glad to see the turbulence of 2020 fade in our wake and the promise of new opportunities rise on our bow.

Giving respect to the past and future, I’d like to share with you three happenings from this year. First, the Chicago Maritime Arts Center’s efforts, second, fun with 8th-grade students, and last, well…I’ll keep you in suspense.

The pandemic slowed all of us this year and forced us to pivot and find new directions. The Chicago Maritime Arts Center, where we introduce young people to building a boat they launch and learn to row, took on the pandemic challenges and continued to provide programs for underserved young people in greater Chicagoland. My hat’s off to Toby and Patrick for realizing that education need never stop. Together they developed a season of adjusted programs with fewer students and social distancing and successfully carried on throughout the summer reaching over fifty students and the accompanying adults. CMAC now looks excitedly forward to 2021.

One of the positives of CMAC is something none of us expected. Each program is chaperoned by coaches, adults and parents of the students. While our focus is teaching the students to use tools, row a boat, and navigate the new world of water and ecology, hidden in the success of CMAC is the adults’ enlightenment. We all know how hard it is to teach something you don’t know. Imagine leading young people to new opportunities without knowing these opportunities exist yourself. It never occurred to us that the adults were gaining a fresh perspective and understanding of the water along with the young rowers. The adults and young mariners, each in their own way, returned to their communities to lead and engage their peers with what they’d learned. While I believe we change the world by guiding young generations of people, we are never too old to learn.

I find the changes we accomplish through CMAC incredibly important. I hope you see that importance as well and will consider joining the effort. 2020 was tough on us. Covid restriction reduced our ability to hold our annual fundraiser. But 2021 promises to be better, and CMAC hopes to find a home base to significantly increase our ability to provide programs to the broader community. We all know a home base’s expense will require us to spend more time asking for donations. Simply put, we need a few angels to help us engage the youth of Chicagoland. Click here to find ways to join and options to help.

My second message involves the eighth-grade students and teacher, Tobi Guthrie, of LaPorte Middle School, LaPorte, IN.

As the students around the country ended their 2019/20 school year in remote learning, we also experienced our own disruptions and difficulties with making remote learning work for the students. Attendance for Zoom classes was down in every school. During our Atlantic Cup Education Program efforts, we worked hard to provide teachers an attractive option. Many of those teachers remarked that our presentations to their Zoom classrooms led to increased attendance.

Tobi Guthrie, a teacher at LaPorte Middle School in LaPorte, IN, and I have discussed using Spirit of a Dream, my book on the circumnavigation, for her reading classes. As the second wave of the pandemic quickly turned Indiana back to remote learning, Tobi asked her students if they’d like to read Spirit of a Dream and meet the author during the remote learning term. The answer was an overwhelming “yes.”

As fate would have it, Joe Janson at Seaworthy Publishing, returned to me eighteen books that had come back from bookstores for restocking. Tobi’s Novels Class has eighteen students. No more evident a reason was necessary, making the rest of the story obvious. Our first Zoom classroom meeting was a great success, confirmed by a ton of questions from the students. Next week, I will visit again via Zoom and update the reading, and I expect I will be once again bombarded with even more questions. What fun!

Spirit of a Dream is a thrilling read for adults–sailors or not. But when I wrote the book, I envisioned what Tobi Guthrie is doing; engaging young people in the story and to learn how we all fit in the planet’s ecosystem. It’s working. On my desk, I keep a note from a third-grade reader who stated, “Your book is the most engaging book I have ever started reading.” I hope we can all inspire young people this year; they need our help to continue to learn in this changing world.

Spirit of a Dream makes a wonderful gift for students, both young and old! And yup, that’s a blatant plug.

So, on to the last and most fun futuristic news.

During 2012 and ’13, one of Bodacious Dream’s most formidable competitors was Joe Harris on another Class40, Gryphon Solo II. As I wrote in Spirit of a Dream, Joe and I held, clearly in our souls, the same dream of sailing singlehanded around the world. Joe, on Gryphon Solo II, accomplished his dream the year after I did on Bodacious Dream. Fulfilling those dreams did little to satiate our desires to sail the oceans of this planet.

In 2019 as Joe was close to selling Gryphon Solo II, he learned of a new, doublehanded, circumnavigation race titled the Globe 40. Joe signed up, and this fall asked me if I’d join him as crew for some of the legs of the race. The rules provide for the changing of crew for different legs of the race.

In October, we held a crew practice in Portland, Maine, and since then, Joe, Rob Windsor, and the crew at Maine Yacht Center have been working hard to prepare GS II for the start scheduled for June 2021. Not unexpectedly, we learned this week, that the pandemic will delay the start of the race until 2022. But, the excitement remains high among those of us joining Joe for this adventure. The race will start in Tangiers, Morocco, and make stops at some fascinating ports of call around the world. The Mauritius Islands in the Indian Ocean, Auckland, NZ, Bora Bora, Ushuaia, Argentina, Recife, Bazile before finishing in Cascais, Portugal. Join the excitement. Click on both Joe’s Page and Globe 40 to receive the regular updates.

I hope we’ve all found a way to combat the pandemic and effect some small change in our personal worlds. Let’s continue to look closer to home to help inspire the young people of our communities. The pandemic doesn’t have to make you miserable; use it to inspire and affect change for the future.

Best to you all, and have an excellent 2021

– Dave and Franklin

Spirit of a Dream/ The Concert

Posted on May 1, 2020 by oceanexplorer

Hello Friends,

I suspect you, like me, have been challenged by the surrealistic world brought on by this COVID-19 situation.

While I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about what the the future might look like, I’ve also spent an equal amount of time wandering through memories of the past to divert my attention from the stressing news.

May I help you divert your attention? Please join me for a “World Premiere” that you will not be hearing about on TV… but it is a world-changing performance nonetheless. I’m talking about the video release of a new song, composed by my friend Johnny V and based on my adventure circumnavigating the globe.

You can find it right here at the link… Spirit of a Dream, A Sailor with a Story, A Musician With a Song!

So, the backstory on this is that this past February, my old musician friend, Johnny V and I joined up for a Concert and Storytelling Session at the Brewery Lodge in Michigan City, IN.

It was a magical night in that cozy joint. Plagiarizing Pete Hamill, the place was aptly stocked with the color of life – food and drink, world-girdling sailors, artists and electricians, accountants, dreamers, laughter, and itinerant songs.

A pair of worn boots by the back door tell an authentic story. John Carpenter from Thunderclap Recording Studios captured the evening as it unfolded. The people, the music, and the stories are the priority. As always, the treat is at the end as Johnny unveils his newly written song, Spirit of a Dream.

Take a moment if you would, to turn away from today’s stress and drift away with Johnny and I as we weave a simple tapestry of what keeps us passionate about life.

The whole show is around two hours long, but feel free to stop and start so as to savor the whole experience. If you are one of those who goes for the center of a cinnamon roll first, Johnny’s Song, Spirit of a Dream begins at about 1:55:00. But really, you’ll want to circle back and watch the whole thing.

Find Johnny V a.k.a John Vermilye on Facebook… and please visit our Spirit of a Dream website to learn how you can order a copy of the book from Amazon or better yet, its publisher Seaworthy Publishing.

Enjoy, and be well!
– Dave

End of the Year in Florida!

Posted on December 18, 2019 by oceanexplorer

Hello Everyone!

Wow, the season is upon us. I should have sent this to you a few weeks ago, but for real, if you need a last-minute gift for your favorite sailor, enthusiastic student, or a different kind of gift for a holiday party host, Spirit of a Dream is the way to go. Spirit of a Dream will be enjoyed by everyone on your list.

In true Rearick fashion, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thirty-four people wandered in and joined us on Thanksgiving. It’s always a wonderful day full of grateful family, friends, sailors, musicians, and lively conversation. It’s especially wonderful to talk with the kids as they look to their future. I can’t help but wonder what kinds of boats they’ll be sailing in 20 years!

I just returned from a tour to Florida for presentations at yacht clubs, a stint at The Sunset Celebration in Key West as a Hemingway look-a-like and talks with the sixth-graders at Excelsior Classical Academy in Durham, NC. It was great fun to talk about the ocean and sign autographs for the sixth graders. And to boot, I received an honorarium of a bag of Chips Ahoy! cookies from each class! Four in all! Such a bounty!

While driving through the Florida Keys, we stopped to see Michael Timm, the son of a good old friend. Michael is growing coral in captivity at the Boy Scouts of America outpost! This unique process championed by Dr. David Vaughan is gaining world wide attention. Small portions of live coral gathered from boating accidents, or groundings are attached to ceramic plugs.

After about eight months, the coral has overgrown the plug and is ready to be reset into an existing coral reef in the ocean. Michael works with The Boy Scouts of America and closely with Dr. Vaughan’s Plant A Million Pieces of Coral and The Coral Project run by Rick Warner. These projects are worth checking out, and if you have the desire – a donation will give you the chance to show your support by wearing one of their bracelets!

As Christmas approaches and New Year’s follows, Franklin and I hope you have a wonderful time with those close to you. And again, as I have done for the past 30 years or so, I will be taking a midnight walk along the lake – my nature-oriented version of midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

We hope this New Year will bring a renewed enthusiasm for helping the ocean, the earth, and this immense, unfathomable Universe.

Btw, here’s the Spirit of a Dream Book Trailer Video too!

Our best to each of you and your families,

– Dave & Franklin

Dave’s 2019 Summer Highlights… Boats & Books!

Posted on October 22, 2019 by oceanexplorer

Hello Everyone!

What a busy summer! So much has gone on – races, book signings, kids’ events. It’s going to take a few updates to get caught up. I’m sorry I’m so far behind, but these are good reasons!

Two items for this update, first, the book has been very well received, but I’m going to hold off telling you about it and the accompanying video until after I fill you in on the great kids’ events that took place this summer.

FIRST OFF… before I update you I want to tell you that this coming Tuesday, November 5th,the good folks at The Chicago Maritime Arts Center will be hosting its second annual Meet and Greet fundraiser at the Lagunitas Brewery Company in Chicago. This will be great! Come please! Tickets are HERE!… Hope to see you there!

So, on to the update… The Chicago Maritime Arts Center, which I support through my ambassadorship with 11th Hour Racing, had a great summer of classes. Our mainstay is a class building the Bevin Skiff. Groups of young people, over a few weeks of after-school hours, build, paint, and launch a Bevin Skiff. This has proven to be a wonderful experience for young people, and our stack of Bevin Skiffs is growing. Each one colorfully painted to reflect the spirit of the kids who built it. One boat, from the class hosted by the Carpenter’s Union in Chicago, came out painted like a baseball stadium after the students and instructor found out they had a shared passion. The bow was home plate, and the scoreboard was painted on the stern!

It’s fun and amazing to watch these shy kids turn into confident tool users, launch their creation and then learn how to row it. I know you would all get the same thrill I did from working with these kids.

At the Southern Shores Yacht Club, CMAC held its first Boating Skills and Ecology Program. From 10am to 3pm each day for a week, a group of 14 kids took part in learning to row the boats, paddle a kayak, tie knots, be safe around the water and sail a boat. We also learned about the water and ecology of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River– two very precious local resources in our lives.

On Thursday of that week, Greg and Joe Rickard graciously hosted the young mariners on their large sailboat for an excursion out onto the big waters of Lake Michigan. This was met with trepidation and excitement — depending on the mindset. But by the end of the sail, even those most reluctant to venture out were bounding around the boat, taking a turn at the wheel, and enjoying the spirit and freedom of traveling with just the wind.

So, to explain this a bit more… this Tuesday, November 5, CMAC will be hosting its second annual Meet and Greet fundraiser at the Lagunitas Brewery Company in Chicago. We had a blast last year and plan for an even larger crowd this year.

If you’re in the area, try to set aside the evening and join us as we celebrate the wonderful summer, present our plans for next year and gather to support Chicago Maritime Arts Center. Full disclosure, this is our annual fundraiser, the kids enjoy your consideration and support. So, thanks for purchasing a ticket and making a donation to support CMAC. GET YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE!

Okay, onto news of my book, Spirit of a Dream. I’ve received two royalty checks now, so I can fully declare I’m an author. I can add the title of Author to those of Carpenter, Sailor, and Storyteller on my resume!

Everyone who’s read the book tells me it touched them and how much they’ve enjoyed it. A few of you commented you thought it would be a consolidation of the blog posts from the circumnavigation and were pleasantly surprised and engaged by the intimate and inspiring story that unfolded. Thanks so much for that great feedback.

I’ve had some great book signings and talks scattered throughout the summer. Boswell’s Books in Milwaukee now stocks Spirit of a Dream after holding a full house talk. Those of you who wish to pick up a book in person and support an independent book store, stop by one of these excellent places — Boswell’s Books in Milwaukee, The Book Stall in Winnetka, Crowley’s Yacht Yard store on the southern end of Chicago, and if you’re wandering up the Maine Coast, you can find a copy at The Nautical Scribe on Rt.1 in Stockton Springs, ME.

Something else exciting is that we’ve finally been able to upload our VIDEO TRAILER for the book! My great friend Rob Forney jumped in to help me put together a trailer video for the book. You can check it out at this link. https://youtu.be/wblmlKtGXrU. It’s also on the Author’s Page on the Amazon Listing and soon to be found in other locations. For those of you uncertain if you want to read the book, take a three-minute break, and watch the video, Hopefully, you’ll want the rest of the story.

That’s it for this update. Please check out the Chicago Maritime Arts Center link above for tickets to our Meet and Greet; we dearly appreciate, and thank you for your support.

Coming in December, a book signing at The Captiva Yacht Club, Captiva, FL on Tuesday, December 3 for you early snowbirds. If any of you have a club or group that would enjoy hosting a talk while I’m in Florida or on the road to and from there, I’d love to hear from you. Or if your group or club is looking for something fun to do on a winter weekend, let’s set up a talk/signing. I’ve got a four-wheel-drive so bring on the weather, light a fire in the fireplace and let’s spin some yarns!

Thanks, as always, for coming along for the journey.

“The journey you are on will teach you what you need to learn,
not what you plan to learn.” — from the pages of Spirit of a Dream.

– Dave and his merry band of characters

Dave Speaks at the Legendary Explorers Club

Posted on March 31, 2019 by oceanexplorer

It’s hard to recall just when this was… but I was a young man, fully enamored with sailing and gobbling up any book or magazine story on the subject of boats and adventure. Likely, I was 18 or 19, a would-be explorer, but I had already crossed Lake Michigan on a Hobie Cat. That was big stuff for me, and I was on the look-out for the next opportunity to skip town for some exotic port of call.

At some point, I came across this one book, written by an English sailor named Tristan Jones. By some accounts, Tristan was known for mixing the facts of his sailing life with a good measure of exaggeration. That didn’t matter to me; I loved his stories, and through his book, I learned of a place in New York City with the exotic name of the Explorer’s Club. This was the place where the great explorers I’d read about would gather as members; Sir Edmund Hillary, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Charles Lindbergh, and Sylvia Earle – all giants in the world of exploration. It seemed a fantastical place, steeped in tradition and full of dreams and stories.

Screen Shot 2019-03-31 at 11.25.28 AM

Tristan Jones gave a presentation there. In those days, without slides or videos to punctuate his story; he recounted sailing the lowest place on earth, the Dead Sea as well as the highest place on earth, Lake Titicaca. He actually brought his sailboat to the building in Manhattan, cut parts of it away to get it into the freight elevator, and used it as a prop to tell his story.

Next Saturday, April 6th, 2019, I will be telling the story of my book, Spirit of a Dream and my solo circumnavigation onboard Bodacious Dream at The Explorer’s Club in Manhattan near Central Park on East 70th Street. I am of course, honored to be invited and am sure when I pull the door open and enter, I will tingle with every emotion a young boy might have, right down to my toes. Though I am not so young anymore, I will be that young man Saturday.

Every spring, The Explorer’s Club holds an event called “Sailing Stories.” At the event, five modern-day sailing explorers will present their stories of sailing, venturing and crossing the amazing oceans of the world.

I will leave it at that. If you happen to be in New York City next weekend, please joins us. Tickets are $75. You can find the details here. https://explorers.org/events/detail/sailing-stories-2019

I will be selling signed copies of Spirit of a Dream at the event. If you can’t attend, you can always purchase a copy at Amazon, from your local bookseller or through our web page at www.spiritofadream.com.

I’m happy to say the book is garnering some wonderful praise from both sailing and non-sailing readers. One reader sent me a note saying… “I have read all the great sailing authors and your writing was the most pure and relatable to those of us who are most happy with a keel beneath our feet.”

I’m sure you’ll enjoy the story too.

Enjoy your Spring!

– Dave

“The journey you are on will teach you what you need to learn, not what you plan to learn”

Why “Spirit of a Dream” Might be the Book for You!

Posted on December 22, 2018 by oceanexplorer

Spirit of a Dream is my story about sailing around the world alone.

Single-handed sailing is clean, honest, and engaging, full of constant challenges and deep solitude. But it’s also about validating yourself and your dream, even though at times it’s enlighteningly raw—but that’s what pulls us offshore, alone.

In 2013, forty-three years after I snuck the family Sunfish out for a solo sail on Lake Michigan, (against family rules!) I set off from Jamestown, Rhode Island in Bodacious Dream, a Class 40 racing boat. Without the benefit of an organized race, Bo and I headed out to traverse the great race course around the world—via Cape Town, South Africa, Wellington, New Zealand and beyond. Eight and a half months later, I returned to Jamestown—tired, elated, sad and passionate about the ocean and the spirit of dreaming. Soon after, I began writing Spirit of a Dream, the account of my lifelong passion for making that journey, doing it alone and what it was like to actually “live my dream.”

While, it is the story of a solo sailing journey around the globe – from beginning to end … it’s about many other things too. It’s about the pull to adventure and giving yourself tough challenges. It’s about throwing yourself on the mercy of the sea, the weather and the ship that carries you. It’s about keeping your equipment working and fixing it when it breaks and it’s about managing your fears, getting enough sleep and the humor of having to ration your chocolate

Spirit of a Dream will bring all of this alive for you – the anxious thrill of setting sail, the beauty of dark nights alone, the sense of being at the center of the world, the anxiety of approaching storms and the calm of knowing those sublime moments when you, your vessel, the sea, the sky, and the stars all come into harmony.

Whether you’re looking forward to the challenge of your first solo sail across the bay or have already logged many solo hours, we both feel the same passion to go it alone—to be at one with our boat, our world, and to test ourselves and validate our passion.

If you love sailing, walking alone in the woods, challenging the highest peaks, or growing the perfect orchid, whether you’ve lived your passion late into your life, or are just now getting ready to embark on your own mystical journey, Spirit of a Dream is a book I think you will deeply enjoy, happily savor and very likely find hard to put down. One reader wrote …” I wish your book were 1000 pages long. I’m ready to read it again.”

For more information on Spirit of a Dream or to get (or give) your own copy, in either paperback or e-book format, please visit our website at WWW.SPIRITOFADREAM.COM.

If you’re in the Chicagoland area, the book is available at Crowley’s Yacht Yard. In my hometown of Chesterton, Indiana, you can find it at Duneland Pizzeria. Of course, it’s also available on AMAZON or can be ordered through your local bookseller anywhere in the world.

Thank you and a grand new year!

– Dave

Holiday Traditions & Many Thanks!

Posted on December 2, 2018 by oceanexplorer

We had another wonderful Thanksgiving at my house this year. Friends and family gathered to catch-up, laugh, sing and offer up thanks for the incredible year we’ve all had. I truly hope you had a grand Thanksgiving and are able to share this holiday season with family and friends.

My book, Spirit of a Dream, contains a chapter entitled Thanksgiving at Sea, which reflects on how special family and friends are to me. On Thanksgiving Day in 2013, in the middle of the South Atlantic, living my dream and feeling on top of the world, I called back home via the satellite phone, and after hearing the laughter and voices of my friends here at home, I realized how lonely so much of my time was.

2018 was far from lonely and given the recent publication of Spirit of a Dream, it was an extra special Thanksgiving. I am very grateful for the many people who have commented about how much they’ve enjoyed the book. Many of you are having a hard time putting it down.

In local news, on November 27th, we had a wonderfully successful fundraising event for the Chicago Maritime Arts Center. CMAC uses small boat-building to engage and inspire young, inner-city kids. Nearly 200 guests filled the Lagunitas Brewery in Chicago to celebrate the first full year of the organizations’ life and to raise friends and funds for next year. It was a great time! I want to thank the many who either donated, offered to host an event next year or committed to volunteer their time with the kids. Check out the fun at their website. Another thanks you to my friends at 11th Hour Racing who acknowledged and saw fit to issue a grant to CMAC this year. With 11th Hour Racing’s grant, CMAC will be able to make a difference in many young lives.

As you know, from my experience with Bodacious Dream Expeditions and my involvement with The Atlantic Cup, Chicago Maritime Arts Center and youth education and sailing, young people are always on my mind, and they were definitely in my mind as I wrote Spirit of a Dream

Remembering my own youth, how fragile my dream was, and how fiercely I had to guard it against naysayers, I want to be certain to share with young readers, the power of persistence. Spirit of a Dream is woven with these inspirations. I hope we all recognize the need to offer encouragement to young people so they can power through and fulfill their dreams. Consider giving a copy of Spirit of a Dream to the young adventurer in your life this season.

Enjoy the holiday!

– Dave

Full Book Info @ SpiritofaDream.com
Book available from the publisher @ Seaworthy Publications
OR from Amazon … in both print and e-book.

Dave’s “Spirit of a Dream” is published!

Posted on September 27, 2018 by oceanexplorer

Hello again,

As an interesting and hopeful alternative to the news, I would like to let you know that my long-awaited book is just a week away fro release. Spirit of a Dream has met the final approvals and will be officially released Tuesday, October 2nd. That day just so happens to be the fifth anniversary of my departure from Jamestown Harbor sailing alone around the world.

I recall October 2nd, 2013 being a perfect day. Bo and I departed about noon after spending some time with friends who had gathered for the sendoff. Joe Harris on Gryphon Solo ll sailed out and met me. Together, like old friends, Bo and Gryphon Solo ll sailed alongside each other for a time, before Joe turned back for home and I continued over the horizon. It was a sparkling day on the water, one I’ll never forget.

If you are looking for a way to drift away from the everyday, a copy of Spirit of a Dream might be just the ticket. bo_gryphon_550

In the meantime, here’s an excerpt from the book about that October day:

“The beauty of sailing offshore begins when the harbor blends in with the horizon. Gradually, almost unnoticeably, the horizon becomes indistinct in all directions as we enfold with the waves and head for a place defined by a set of coordinates on this enormous, round planet.

As the sun falls below the horizon, I’m alone and no longer attached to the harbor behind me, but to a course set by mysterious, magnetic forces below the surface of the earth. Without land in sight, a grid of latitude and longitude defines my existence.

As the last of the evening light disperses across the sky, Bo and I follow this course, slipping back and forth from conscious to subconscious. The sea and wind have control of my destiny, leaving me with the simple task of existing in harmony with them, respecting the things I cannot see or control, and honoring my desire and dreams. Bodacious Dream and I sail as trusting friends across the ocean as I drift through sleep and memories.”

As you might have guessed, I’m thrilled to be seeing the book through to publication, and I’m very grateful to be able to share the experience with you. I hope you’ll find the story engaging and easy to connect with the personal reflections I share.

I invite you to purchase the paperback (or E-book soon!) through my good publisher at Seaworthy Publications or at Amazon. And by late October, it should be available through your local bookstore or marine chandlery.

More info can be found at http://spiritofadream.com, which we’ll be expanding on in the near future.

Thanks for your patience on this journey. I hope you enjoy the read.

– Dave, Bo, Franklin, and Otto… and the many Spirits of a Dream

Summer 2018 Update!

Posted on August 25, 2018 by oceanexplorer

Wow, this summer has been so busy, I’ve been unable to keep you up on all the happenings. I hope yours has had its share of fun too. Before I fill you in on the Atlantic Cup, the two Mac Races and my new involvement with The Chicago Maritime Arts Center, let me catch you up on the progress of my book, Spirit of a Dream.

The road to publication takes a lot of patience, but the wait is nearly over. The first proofs have arrived, and after a few tweaks, we are quite happy with them. Now we are awaiting the arrival of our Library of Congress catalog number. Once we get it, Seaworthy Publishing will push the button, and Spirit of a Dream will be available on Amazon! That could be a week or two, but hopefully no more than a month!

I’m obviously excited about the book’s publication and can’t wait to share the stories with you. Hopefully, the extra time and hard work have been worthwhile, and will provide you with an excellent read. While we await the arrival of Spirit of a Dream, let me fill you in on other great adventures from this summer.

First off, the biennial Atlantic Cup ran in its usual late May, early June time frame. With 11 boats competing from Brazil, France, Norway, South Africa, USA and sailors from other countries far and wide, the racing was exceptional, very competitive and as challenging as offshore racing can get. Through it all, Earendil, sailed by Catherine Pourre and Pietro Luciani held their consistency to take top honors and win the cup. Catherine was the first winning female in the history of the race.

Photo @BillyBlack

Earendil was followed by Toothface sailed by Mike Dreese and Tristan Mouligne and then by Amhas with the venerable Rob Windsor and Micha Davis trimming to a close third. Oakcliff Racing, my old boat Bodacious Dream, on which we won the Atlantic Cup in 2013 and with which I then circumnavigated the globe in 2014, had a great final race. They pressed the whole way for a top position, showing that Bo is still one fast boat!

For the past two Atlantic Cups, my involvement has chiefly been with managing the AC Kids Education Program. This year, our crew put on the best event so far, sharing the program, the excitement and the wisdom of the sailors and the ocean with over 2000 kids of all ages and backgrounds! While 9-12-year-olds make up the bulk of the students, we were inspired by the inquisitiveness of first and second graders too and by the determination of high school students who were studying marine biology.

Photo @BillyBlack

As always, we learn as much from the kids as they do from us. One student spoke out in class by saying, “If plastics last 100 years or longer, then all the plastic we’ve ever made is still here on the earth!” That one really gave me pause. Even I had never looked at it quite that way. No matter where or how you disposed of the plastic you’ve used in your life, it continues to live somewhere. Always give plastic a chance to live a new, recycled life.

Here’s the video from the Atlantic Cup Kids Program. Watch it to the end to hear the final, fantastic statement from the young girl. Her sincerity says it all… ”It’s our earth darn it!”

Next up, 11th Hour Racing gave us, its panel of ambassadors. the opportunity to designate a non-profit organization that we felt most closely aligned with and could help expand each of our own interests and efforts. I chose the Chicago Maritime Arts Center, after being introduced to them by my close friends, Phil Pollard and Grant Crowley over at Crowley’s Yacht Yard, on East 95th Street in Chicago.

The CMAC consists of a group of passionate boaters inspired by the founder, Capt. Toby Lindo, who launched the program which works with school-age kids to build and operate small boats and so hopefully stimulate some tangible changes in those kid’s life experience. Through the process of building a simple skiff and launching it on the Chicago River, these kids get the chance to do something not easily available in their inner-city neighborhoods.

I was lucky enough to attend the second session this summer and wow, what a kick! Kids were using drills, handsaws, measuring tapes, paintbrushes and other tools to build a 10-foot-long Bevin’s Skiff. On launch day, they carried the boats to the water’s edge and with a few words of dedication, quickly slipped them into the water, hopped in and took to the oars. The first few uncoordinated swipes with the oars soon turned into proficient sweeps as these strong young kids took charge of the day and hopefully set a new course for their lives.

The leadership of the CMAC is focused on building out their program to provide this opportunity citywide. Gaining valuable wisdom and insights from other programs throughout the country and leveraging local expertise, they have made a great start, and I have every confidence that within a few years, CMAC will be impacting many young adult lives that will ripple positively across their communities. Check them out on Facebook too – they are definitely worthy of your attention and any spare change you might be able to share with them.

Lastly, the Mac Races! These races are the main event in a Great Lakes sailor’s summer. First up this year was the Bayview Mac Race, which began at the southern tip of Lake Huron and ran the length of Lake Huron to Mackinac Island. I raced the 280 some miles with my good friends on Defiance, a JV 67. Light or mostly non-existent winds actually covered the entire racecourse, except for the last 20 miles when a fresh northerly provided beautiful, clear, upwind sail to the finish. We were excited to be the third boat across the finish line, behind Windquest and Wizard, although the handicap correction dropped us further down the rankings. If anyone ever tells you big winds make for hard sailing, tell them that light or no wind is equally as taxing for competitive-minded sailors.

The following weekend, under rainy, grey skies, and a building northerly wind that would stay through the entire race, aboard the good ship Tango in Blue, we started the Chicago Mac Race. This year I got the unique chance to sail with a crew that included my godson, Harry Barrows who, at 18 was getting the chance to sail his first Mac race! If you’ve heard any stories of this year’s Chicago Mac, they’re probably accurate. We pounded along into 20-25 knot upwind conditions for two continuous days until the winds eased a bit and the skies lightened up. Hour after hour of being doused by waves, while hanging on the rail, as the boat heaved and bashed its way into the next wave. Nights of endless blackness, fatigue and shivering in our cold wet skivvies unleashed an endless stream of stories once we reached Mackinac Island.

This story ended happily though with a tired, elated crew as we topped our section in first place. Without that extra boost of adrenaline at the finish line, that first glass of champagne migh have left me horizontal on the dock.

If that wasn’t enough for one summer, on June 30th, I was honored with induction into the Lake Michigan Sail Racing Federation Hall of Fame. Many friends and family gathered for the ceremony at the Michigan City Yacht Club, the place I call my home harbor, to celebrate. After 45 years of sailing, I have quite a collection of plaques and awards, but none of them are as precious as the ones like this one, that come with the respect of my peers. This honor is especially precious.

So, that’s been the summer, and for it, I am one lucky sailor. I hope yours summer has been full of good memories too. With the coming of fall, look for Spirit of a Dream.

A smooth sail to you into whatever adventures fall and winter might bring you.

Regards to all,

– Dave Rearick

BDX

Ocean Learning Adventures

Category Archives: Spirit of a Dream