Lin and Larry Pardey - The Cold Hard Facts
Larry
Born October 31 1939, Victoria, Canada.
Raised on Shuswap Lake, Okenagan Valley and in Vancouver. First Boat, Indian dugout
canoe, age 9. First sail boat -
self-restored 8' EL TORO pram, age 17. 1st cruising boat - self-restored 20
foot Colin Archer Cutter. 1st racing boat, age 19 - self-restored 27 foot
Tumlaren Sloop. 215,000 sea miles. Larry entered full time care facility due to
advancing Parkinson’s Disease and associated dementia, October 2016. Died July
27, 2020 at Blockhouse Bay, Auckland, New Zealand
Lin
Born 1944, Detroit, Michigan. Raised in
Los Angeles County. Early sailing experience - summer sailing on lakes of
Michigan in 14-foot Old Town Sloop until age of 5. Studied accounting and
music. 221,000 sea miles. Lin is still voyaging having
joined David Haigh an Australian voyager on board his 40 foot Van de Stadt
cutter Sahula.
Lin and Larry
Met and became a couple in May, 1965. Married October 30st 1968.
The Boats in their lives
Seraffyn
Lyle Hess designed cutter, styled on lines
of Falmouth Working Boats. Original hull
(Renegade) designed in 1954 for Hale Field of Newport Beach as
gaff-cutter. Marconi rig designed for
Pardeys in 1964. Built by Lin and Larry.
Launched October 31st, 1968. Length on
deck 24' 7". Waterline 22' 2"
beam 8' 11", draft 4' 8", displacement loaded for cruising 10,686
pounds, sail area - working plan 461 square feet. Construction - mahogany on
oak steam bent frames with every third frame sawn. Solid teak decks, original cost $7,765 U
S.Voyaged - 47,000 miles - eleven years, eastward through Mexico, Panama Canal,
to Europe and Baltic. Three years in
Mediterranean, south through Red Sea, across Indian Ocean and through China
seas to Japan, then Canada and south back to launching port of Newport Beach,
California
Taleisin
Designed for Lin and Larry by Lyle C Hess
in 1977. Development of Seraffyn. Launched 10/ 31/1983. Length on deck 29' 6”, waterline 27' 6” beam
10' 9", draft 5' 3", displacement for cruising 17,800. . Sail
area - 740 square feet. Construction - Built by Lin and Larry, teak carvel
planking over sawn black locust frames, bronze floors, bronze hanging
knees. Solid teak decks, material cost
$US 38,000 (1980 dollars).
Voyaged – 80,000 miles sailing westward
from California through Pacific. Two
voyages from New Zealand to Australia and return. Then through Cook Straits of New Zealand to
Sydney, south to Tasmania, westward through Australian bight to Indian Ocean,
South Africa, Brazil, Ireland, England, Scotland and Norway. East coast of
US, then south to Argentina and westward around Cape Horn across outbound track to complete
circumnavigation in 2003, then on to Canada . After spending three seasons exploring
the sounds from Desolation sound to Seattle she cruised the west coast of North
America then cross the Pacific via the Line Islands, Samoa and Tonga to finish
another circumnavigation in New Zealand during 2009. Sailed extensively around
Northern New Zealand for another four years. Sold to Eben and Annie Bryns,
young New Zealanders, in 2015
Thelma
Designed and built in Auckland
New Zealand by C and W Bailey, 1895. Gaff cutter, length on deck 37’ beam 7’6”
draft. Ninety-five percent of hull is
original. Has been in commission 100 of its 110 years. Purchased 2004 and currently
being upgraded cruised and raced at home base in New Zealand during southern
summers. Sailed to second in division,
2005 International Classics Regatta, Auckland. 1st in division 2006
International Classics Regatta, Auckland, 2nd 2008 Anniversary day
regatta. With Taleisin back at her home base and needing the one winter mooring
we have here, Thelma had some final restoration work completed and was adopted
out to Matt Price a skilled wooden boat builder in Wellington, where she races
with two other vintage 2-1/2 raters.
Felicity
Designed by Nat
Herreshoff 1930, built by Cap Cod Shipyards 1994 – 15 feet on deck, used for
teaching and pleasure purposes at Kawau Island.
Sahula
Steel 40-foot
Van de Stadt (designer upgraded his Seal 36 design by adding a 4 foot long
lazarette.) Built in Sydney Australia 1991. Owned by Lin’s partner David Haigh,
retired Law Lecturer from Townsville, Australia. David sailed into North Cove
on the last leg of a ten year circumnavigation. A year later he completed the
circumnavigation with Lin on board as crew. After a circumnavigation of the
Tasman Sea they are back in New Zealand, preparing to set sail westward again.
Other voyages
Approximately 60,000 miles of yacht
delivery work and racing. Have made
ocean passages on 20 different vessels and raced on many others including 85'
Schooner, California to Hawaii and return, 54' Ketch, Palma, Majorca to New
Orleans. Fleet Handicap winner, 1974 Round Britain two-handed race, First
place, Auckland two-handed series, Millennial cup Classics Fleet, class winner,
Lin served as navigator on Seminole in Woodenboat Cup week, Penoscott Bay,
Maine. She continues to voyage on board the Australian cutter, Sahula. Since joining Sahula she
has voyaged another 15,000 miles including circumnavigating New Zealand, and
the Tasman Sea including rounding the southern tip of Tasmania.
Total
Sailing Miles
Larry – 215,000
Lin – 221,000 as of July 2022
Home base
Lin - Kawau Island, New Zealand. Citizens of New Zealand. Larry retained his
Canadian citizenship, Lin retains her American citizenship
Current
Occupation
Lin, writing, seminars on writing,and seamanship between voyaging on Sahula
Charitable
Works
Fund raising to assist sailing for
people with disabilities including CRAB, BAADS,
Footloose, and New Zealand
Sailablity
Created and
continue to support the Larry Pardey Memorial Observatory at Camp Bentzon,
Kawau Island, New Zealand, an
outdoor youth education center
Books by Lin and Larry Pardey Videos by Lin and Larry Pardey
Storm Tactics Handbook Cruising, hints for improving your boat
Cruising in Seraffyn Voyaging, upgrading your cruising boat
Seraffyn's European Adventure The
Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew
Seraffyn's Mediterranean Adventure
Cruising Coral Seas
Seraffyn's Oriental Adventure Storm Tactics Video
The Self-sufficient Sailor
The Capable Cruiser DVDs by Lin and Larry Pardey
The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew Storm Tactics
Details of Classic Boat Construction - The
Hull Get Ready to Cruise
Cost Conscious Cruiser
Get Ready to Cross
Oceans
Cruising has No
Limits
Cost Control While
you Cruise
Books
by Lin
Bull Canyon, A Boatbuilder, a Writer and Other Wildlife
Taleisin’s Tales, Sailing towards the
Southern Cross
Articles by Lin and Larry have appeared in
Sail Magazine, Cruising World, Woodenboat,
Good Old Boat, Classic Boat UK, Yachting Monthly UK, Practical Boat Owner UK,
South African Yachting, Cruising Helmsman - Australia, Australian Boating,
Amateur Boatbuilder - Australia, Das Boot - Germany, Brazilian Sailing, Yacht –
Germany, New Zealand Yachting, Sea Spray New Zealand. Pacific Yachting, Canada
Records
Have sailed the smallest boat to have
circumnavigated contrary to the prevailing winds around the great southern
capes. Only couple to have
circumnavigated both east-about and west about on boats they built them selves,
using traditional means of navigation, and having no engine nor sponsorship.
Awards
West Vancouver Yacht club, junior member of the year - Larry
Mauritanian Legion of Honour, as Captain of first American team to
sail across the Sahara Desert in a land yacht,1966. - Larry
Cruising Sailors to contribute most to the
sport of Sailing - voted
by readers of Sail Magazine 1990.
International Oceanic Award - presented by Royal Institute of
Navigation sponsored by Little Ship Club 1996 - in recognition of Larry's voyaging
using traditional methods
of navigation.
Ocean Cruising Club Award - for contributions to Seamanship for
small boat sailing. Presented to Lin
Pardey 1996.
Geoff Pac
Memorial Award- to both Lin and Larry for fostering and encouraging
ocean cruising in small yachts
Cruising
World Hall of Fame-2000
Ocean Cruising Club Merit Award –To Lin and Larry for inspiring
voyages including a west-about rounding of Cape Horn
Seven Seas Cruising Club Service Award – To Lin and Larry for their lifetime
voyaging
achievements 2004
Cruising Club of America Far Horizons
Award- To Lin and Larry
for life time achievements and contributions to seamanship 2009
Sail Magazines Top 40 Sailors who made a
Difference – 2010 -As
America’s first couple of cruising, Lin and Larry have inspired countless
sailors.
Yachting
Monthly 2012 -Only Non-British sailors listed among
25 Cruising Heroes
Indie
Book Award – Lin for Bull
Canyon; Finalist – General Non-Fiction, also finalist, Memoirs
WILLA
Literary Award 2012- Lin,
for Bull Canyon: Finalist – Literary Non-fiction
SSCA
Award 2015– in
recognition of a deep commitment to good seamanship and an understanding of their
ship and the environment.
BoatUS
– Leaders and Legends 2016 – Named among 50 people who made a difference to the world of
boating.
Ocean
Cruising Club – Lifetime achievement award 2019
National
Sailing Hall of Fame – Class of 2022
Find Lin on Facebook at Lin Pardey on Instagram at PardeyLin
Lin maintains a newsletter and shares cruising tips and podcasts at:
Lin maintains a newsletter and shares cruising tips and podcasts at:
