How it All Began

Sailing is an experience to me, which occurred as an accident due to an old sailboat that was stored under a lake cabin.  My path with this boat began at age seven or eight.  This boat was sunk half way to the gunnels, the mast was hung under my grandfather cabin eve and the sail had rotted years ago.  The boat was my sandbox with two seats and forward covering, totaling fourteen feet.  The centerboard truck was large and housed a sheet of galvanize metal.  Many years prior, my mother and her friend, Corky sailed the boat under the cabin and there she sat for twenty-five years. 

Several years later my mother got married and with my new father's help, he and I started to fix the boat.  We pulled out the caulking, replaced and sunk the boat with rocks for several weeks.  We refinished the mast and boom, bought a new sail.  With the help of a Sunset "How to Sail,” Dad and I learned the art of destroying and old boat, one piece at a time.  Several years later we bought a C-Lark 14. 

During my college, Liz my chemistry lab partner agreed to come home for a vacation with my parents at our cabin at Lake Wenatchee, WA.  We sailed and sailed and hiked and sailed.  The last day of the vacation the wind was whipping and Liz said, "let’s go sailing."  Boy I thought I would be a chicken if I said no, but what the hell.  There were several other boats out on the lake that I knew.  We flew and Liz sat toward the bow breaking the waves.  She was wet and we were laughing.  It was great sailing and Liz showed great promise, not only as a sailor but as a partner. 

So after three sailboats, Liz and I were sailing back from Westport, WA on the Pacific Ocean, we had lost our engine and were crossing the Columbia River bar.  The weather had deteriorated, with a small craft warning.  I had been sucking on diesel lines for the past two days and felt sick.  Liz was at the helm and said, "lets get a bigger boat." 

After owning our Yankee 26, a Sparkman & Stevens design, for ten years, we sold her and several years later we purchased a boat that became Slainte.  Slainte (Slan tcha) is a Gaelic toast to your good health.  Slainte is a heavy double-ender, which is similar to an Alajuela 38.  Colin Archer designed the original design of Slainte.  

Well after twenty-five years, Liz and I are about to take off for a sailing adventure.  This web page will be our connection to our family and friends as we experience cruising.  Please feel to add to this web page.  So as the web page develops we hope it causes you to dream and plan. You can add to the web page by either emailing us at allanwarman@hotmail.com or Tom Perham (webmaster) at tperham@fidalgo.net.