S/V Ravens' Dream

Ravens' Dream is a 1976 - 30' Grampian sailing sloop. She is our
second sailboat since moving to British Columbia in 1988. We came
across her one evening in Nanaimo. We were out for a walk along
Stewart Avenue, on our way back to Port Hardy, when we both noticed a
mast with a great "rake" to it. It was love at first sight! We
decided to stay over night, and go back for a better look in the
morning. After a short sail around Newcastle Island, we negotiated a
deal, and now where the owners of two sailboats!

Our sailing lives have varied greatly. Mine had consisted of going
out occasionally as a guest on friends boats on Lake Ontario once in
awhile before moving to B.C., so with that and my mere 18 years of
sailing here, pails in comparison to Jim, who on the other hand has
been sailing since he was 6 years old. He was raised in Foster Care
and ended up with a family who had a son of their own who was
10 years older then Jim. Burt had taught himself how to sail by
rigging canoes with sails in the beginning, then he started building small sailboats himself.

By the time Jim was 6, Burt would take Jim with him and they
would sail around the Islands in Toronto harbour, Then by the time
Jim was 10 to 12 they began sailing across Lake Ontario usually at
night on Fridays. Burt taught Jim how to steer a compass course, and
he would go below and cook supper while Jim sailed the boat. Burt was
working by this time, so they would leave Friday evenings, over to
Niagara-on-the-Lake, and come back on Sunday afternoons. Even years
later when Jim had joined the Navy, and would come home to Toronto on
leave in the summer, they would still sail together.

We lived and worked in Port Hardy at the time we purchased Raven'
Dream (this is the name we gave her when we re-registered her) so we
sailed Queen Charlotte Strait, and then we moved to Comox in 1992 and
to Qualicum Bay in 2002 so we have enjoyed the Georgia Strait area,
Desolation Sound and the Sunshine Coast since. We where so pleased to
get moorage at the Deep Bay Marina, a secure snug harbour, with a
wonderful group of "sailors" for neighbours.

Both Jim and I are looking forward to favourable weather, and a great
sail on our "Around Together" adventure!

Skipper: Linda Thompson

First Mate: Jim Roberts