Water, wind and a view - writer's bliss.

Diana Talley, Carol Hasse and their crews of women colleagues and apprentices have been a joy to work and learn from over the years. Jan Wylie and Julia Maynard have also contributed timely expertise.

"Points, capes and waypoints provide the names, the experiences, the goals that make us stronger."  Kaci Cronkhite

My world of wooden boats revolved around this dock and the Cupola House for a decade.

If a boat is a hole in the water into which we throw money according to cynics, then the hole becomes the haul out from hell when you're on land without the right shipwright, shop and location.

Fate smiled upon us when to our surprise professional photographer Michael Berman motored up to snap a few shots on our first day sailing with the new full main.  Thank you Michael!

Research for my books and presentations has taken me to Denmark, France, Sweden, Australia, Canada and to both coasts of the USA. On water or on land, you can always find a story in a wooden boat!

Afternoons can bring stronger winds to Port Townsend Bay. Pax has two reefs, a 30% and 60%, expertly advised and built in her custom Hasse & Company mainsail. 

Since 2007, Pax has been among the fleet of 200 boats during the annual Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival. As the director for ten years, it is a joy to simply sit aboard the boat as a participant. Come visit!

When fire scorched Pax's original Danish interior, it destroyed dreams, history and almost destroyed her completely. A talented woman shipwright in British Columbia helped her rise from the ashes.

Karl Thomsen was MSJ Hansen's (the "perfectionist") favorite boatbuilder. His boatyard, shop, rails and dock were the center of bustling Kalendborg waterfront from the 1930s - 1950s. 

While hundreds of people may admire and lust for wooden boats, some dare to own them. Women and men have loved Pax dearly. Their blood, sweat and tears kept her afloat and her beauty repaid them beyond measure, distance and time.

Summer sailing regattas and family cruising was severely limited by region and closely monitored by Germans in Denmark from 1940-45. A small number of boat owners braved the situation, launched their boats for summer and were then towed by Germans to approved locations. Pax was one of those vessels.

Henrik Effersoe, Denmark's leading spidsgatter expert and owner of Hansen/Thomsen beauty Bel Ami proudly delivered a builder's plaque when we finally proved Pax's origin. A very happy day.

Down pillows, oil heaters and wooden boats don't mix. Once the fire began, it roared through the boat while near helpless men with buckets of salt water tried to douse the flames. The cabin, main sail, hatches and all interior contents burned. Pax's story nearly ended here.

KAS are the Danish letters identifying the sail club where Pax was registered from 1938-1960.  It took four years, two trips to Denmark and hundreds of emails to find the man and woman whose childhood sailing experience then linked Pax from KAS to KDY, the Royal Danish Yacht Club.

Every Autumn, wooden boat owners in Denmark haul their boats on land to protect from freezing temperatures. With a crane, home made hard stands and creativity, local sailing club members cram the boats together in the order they come out of the water making an artistic display when viewed from underneath. Weighted tarps cover the top and names are painted on the wood to make it easier to find your boat to do work come springtime.

For 14 years, a woman shipwright worked to restore Pax while working other jobs and raising three kids.