Letter to Flying Fish 2021-1

Ann and Glenn Bainbridge 2nd March 2021 SV Gjoa, Victoria, BC

We’ve been OCC members since 2013 and read the March e-Bulletin with interest. It contained a reprint of a press release about four OCC members receiving recognition from the CCA, definitely a fantastic achievement by all concerned. However, Mōli has a lot more OCC history than the paragraph about Randall Reeves receiving the Blue Water Medal gave her credit for – there is a piece missing.

Mōli (ex Taonui, ex Asma) should read Mōli (ex Taonui, ex Gjoa, ex Asma). We bought the boat from Tony in the UK in 2013 and sold her to Randall in 2016 in Alaska. As Gjoa, she completed a Northwest Passage transit in 2014/15 and overwintered in Cambridge Bay, where she endured temperatures as low as –50°C. Gjoa enjoyed meeting Steve Brown’s Novara on her 2014 transit. We also met Randall then – he was crewing aboard Arctic Tern – and discussed how perfect our boat would be for his planned voyage.

So, this boat has been owned by at least three OCC members and made three Northwest Passage transits (including Clark Stede/Michelle Poncini’s voyage, when she was called Asma)*. It was an honour for us to have bought Tony’s boat and to see Randall continue with her to achieve his remarkable voyage.

As long-standing OCC members, we thought her full OCC history should be put on record.

* She has also received the Cruising Club of America’s Blue Water Medal twice – only the second yacht to have done so. The first was Wanderer III, in 1955 with Eric and

Susan Hiscock and in 2011 with Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson.

I start from the premise that no object created by man is as satisfying to his body and soul as a proper sailing yacht. Arthur Beiser, The Proper Yacht