Lin and Larry Pardey


Lin and Larry Pardey are sailors and writers, known for their small boat sailing. The Pardeys have sailed over 200,000 miles together, circumnavigating the world both east-about and west-about, and have published numerous books on sailing.

Remembering Larry Pardey, 1938 — 2020

Posted on July 27, 2020 by Rick Spilman
http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2020/07/remembering-larry-pardey-1938-2020/
Sadly, in recent years Larry has suffered from Parkinson’s and Parkinsonian dementia. He died last night. Lin posted this message on Facebook this morning.

Early life

Larry.

Sailing voyages

The Pardeys have sailed past all the great southern capes, including Cape Horn. Larry, assisted by Lin, built the two boats they used for two circumnavigations; both were under 30 feet and were designed by Lyle Hess. Neither boat had an engine.
Larry also was one of the first people to sail across the Sahara desert in 1967. In an expedition organized by the French Colonel de Buchett and sponsored by National Geographic among others, he captained a North American team of three including Richard Arthur and Warren Zeibarth as they sailed landyachts from Colum Bechar in Algeria to Noachott in Mauritania, a distance of approximately 1700 miles. For this each was awarded the Mauritanian Legion of Honor. In 1974 he joined 67-year-old Leslie Dyball to take handicap honors in the bi-annual Round Britain and Ireland two-handed race on board the 30-foot S&S sloop Chough.
Larry started his sailing career at age 17 in North Vancouver where he restored an El Toro dinghy and became a member of the West Vancouver Yacht Club. He quickly became proficient in racing and purchased then restored a 28-foot Tumlaren sloop, Annalisa. His skills lead to him being asked to instruct others in the art of racing and also to lead the junior sailing program. In 1964 he sold Annalisa and went to California in search of an affordable cruising boat. He instead signed as first mate on the 85-foot schooner, Double Eagle and sailed to Hawaii on a movie making charter. On his return he obtained a job skippering a 54-foot charter ketch and at the same time began building his first cruising boat, Seraffyn. It was only 5 months into this project that he met Lin Zatkin who soon joined him to finish building what became their first cruising boat. Together they eventually sailed more than 200,000 miles including both an east about and west about circumnavigation. To earn their way they delivered boats, restored boats and worked as riggers. Eventually Lin's writing skills began covering their cruising costs.
In 1985, during a voyage to New Zealand, the two purchased a distressed small boatyard and cottage on Kawau Island, 30 miles north of Auckland. This became their home base but did not stop them from voyaging onward.
After 49 years of marriage, and 47 years and more than 200,000 miles of voyaging together, Larry developed Parkinsons Disease and made his last ocean passage from California to New Zealand, where together they continued to cruise locally. In 2016, Larry's Parkinsonian dementia had advanced to the point where he could no longer live at home. Lin sold Taleisin to a young New Zealand couple in 2015. Lin continued sailing between visits to check on Larry. Over the past year she has logged another 9000 miles voyaging to Fiji, Vanuatu and along the coast of Australia and south of Tasmania. She currently is voyaging on board Sahula, a 40-foot Van de Stadt sloop owned by Australian, David Haigh.
With the financial assistance of Ken Thorall, lin has set up an observatory in honor of Larry, at Camp Bentzon, a children's camp on Kawau Island, New Zealand. Approximately 5000 children each year stay at the camp to learn outdoor skills and sailing. She continues to raise funds to support the observatory and also to provide opportunities for Sailors with Disabilities in three different communities.

Publications

Together they have written twelve books and created five instructional DVD programs. Parts of these programs have been aired on PBS television.
In January 2014, As Long as It's Fun, the Epic Voyages and Extraordinary Times of Lin and Larry Pardey, a biography written by Herb McCormick, was released by Paradise Cay Publications.

Awards

The Cruising Club of America awarded their prestigious Far Horizon Award for 2009 to Lin and Larry in recognition of their combined voyaging on board many boats covering mileage totaling more than 200,000 for Larry and about 194,000 for Lin and doing so in a manner that is consistent with the goals of the CCA. They were presented with the SSCA award from the Seven Seas Cruising Association in recognition of their contributions to the sport of sailing and the cruising community - only the 16th time in the club's 60-year history this award has been presented.
Lin and Larry reside on Kawau Island. Lin is one of the founding members and honorary secretary of the Kawau Island Boating Club and the elected representative for the island.

Books