Gone with the Wind

It’s been a long time coming but now the time is near. John and Diane Dinwiddie have been dreaming of the day when they would head out the Gate and turn south. The only thing stopping them was all the normal stuff — careers, getting the boat ready, and finding the time to make it all happen. 

A couple of weeks ago friends and family gathered for the send-off party at Richmond Yacht Club, where John has been harbormaster for the last several years. The boat, the very buff-looking Hans Christian 38 Tabu Soro, was looking stupendous dockside and was open for tours.

Tabu Soro, which means ‘never give up’ in Fijian, was the victim of a fire in the cabin that severely damaged the hull and navigation area of the boat. Often a fire on a fiberglass boat gets out of control, but such was not the case with Tabu Soro. Though the boat was badly damaged, John saw the opportunity for a resurrection. For the past 18 years John has been patiently refitting the  boat, adding equipment, and bringing her back to her former glory. 

Beyond the structural repairs there’s a new SSB, halyards, rigging, brightwork, scuba tanks and myriad other refinements and upgrades. Having finished up with careers at the end of August, John and Diane have a seven-day-a-week job getting the last boat chores done. They’re now sailing to double-check all the systems and make sure that they and Tabu Soro are ready to head down the coast.

Sometime in mid-October they should be joining the rest of the West Coast cruisers as they head toward Mexico, and, beyond that, it’s just cruising time. It took a few years, but John, Diane and the boat are now ready and looking forward to the miles and sunshine ahead.