Rest in Peace Hadley and Erwin

 Earlier this Fall, only a few weeks ago, I posted in mourning about the loss of Harlem sailor John Paskalis. And now death has taken two more giants, my friends, mentors and helpers. Three in one season and no, it is not Covid that has taken them. My pain is real. 

Hadley, was the father of Catherine, who met Craig at the Club and had married him before I joined. They survive him. They taught me some secrets about racing, namely: do not yell or lose it when things go wrong, as they inevitably will, but calmly make it right as quickly and efficiently as possible and keep going. But they are consummate cruisers, mentors to me. We visited with Catharine and Craig in Florida in 2015, where they keep "Sangaris", their Amel 47, after returning on it from several years of cruising her in Europe. They gave me the "helm" of one of their electronic joy stick/radio controlled  model boats one morning.

Hadley, an accountant, served the Harlem for many years, keeping track of our money for us.  He sailed "We Three," a Pearson, with his wife, Susan and son, Billy, who survive him. Hadley participated in several of the Club Cruises. Lene and I were honored to be invited and participated in Billy's wedding, thereby following the commandment to "rejoice with the bride and groom."  Hadley and Susan retired to Rhode Island and we visited them there several times during the last decade. Once our plans  accidentally brought us to Bristol at the Fourth of July Weekend. We had no idea about how big a deal that holiday is in Bristol. Yet Hadley had arranged to move his sloop, Vagula, to give us his mooring.  Our last visit with Hadley was after it was no longer safe for him to sail, even as a guest on ILENE, but we had dinner with Hadley and Susan in a French restaurant  in Tiverton. 

Erwin was the most terrific guy, an honored Past Commodore, expert and experienced at all aspects of sailing including boat making. When his passing was announced, the internet lit up with so many email tributes to him from the memories of Club members. Mine is here.

I joined the Harlem while still new to boating. I knew that I had to "fog off" the Atomic 4 gas engine, but had no idea how to do this. Everyone had told me, correctly, that "People will help you here at the Harlem". My Pearson 28 "Just Cause" had been hauled and the threat of frost was imminent. I was asking who will help me. One man, who I had not asked, came over and showed me how to do it, by doing it. That man was Erwin. That evening, at a Club party, one of the folks who I had asked for help came over and said "Did you get that help you needed with your engine yet?" I'm bad at names and had lost Erwin's. I said "Yes, it was that blond fellow." Later that evening Erwin came over and said "Thank You." "For what?", I replied. He laughed and said, "It has been decades since this white hair was blond!"

When the head gasket was shot on that engine, a few years later, Erwin spent two hot summer days on my boat taking off the engine's head which he then took to his shop, machined flat, and reinstalled, in time so I could participate in the Club cruise. At one point he directed me to go ashore and get some studs to replace the ones that had to be removed and a cold chisel. When I got back Erwin took a large hammer and WHAMed it to the chisel that he held against my engine -- to get the head off. "What are you doing to my baby, I cried?!?!" He just laughed. I say he helped me with my engine, but the fact is that did the job with me just handing him tools and learning -- and he refused any pay.

I had the pleasure of sailing with Erwin on his sloop, "Mother Goose", Muzzer Goose as he called her, with the Wednesday afternoon Old Salts Club of which he was apparently a founding organizer. I also enjoyed several of his "right after Thanksgiving," week-long charters from Conch Charters in Road Town, Tortola, BVI's, of which he was the guiding spirit. Hadley cruised with us at least one time, come to think of it. Erwin epitomized leadership, not from behind by telling people what to do, but by taking the laboring oar, setting the good example and exhorting us: "Follow me!"

He designed, fabricated and installed the unique cantilevered supports from the radar arch on which ILENE's solar panels have been installed since 2010. With his design, the panels are quite secure but hidden, in plain sight, above the bimini, but not relying on the bimini for support. And he refused to take any payment except for the materials.

I'm also grateful that he did his best to provide a father figure for my daughter's late husband.

Lene and I had a lovely lunch with Erwin at the restaurant of his club in North Palm Beach Florida in March of 2015 while we were returning from Key West.

Our Club has been blessed to find leaders to follow in Erwin's footsteps.