A life of love and adventure
Classic Boat|April 2020
Margaret Dye looks back on her cruising exploits in a 16ft Wayfarer with husband Frank
SAM JEFFERSON
A life of love and adventure

“If I could just have one more day with Frank aboard Wanderer, I’d be so happy. He was a lovely man and Wanderer was so special – part of us.” Margaret Dye is in the comfortable surroundings of Heathcote care home in Norwich, where she has lived the last six years.

It’s hard to imagine in these prosaic surroundings that this 84-year-old and her husband, Frank, who passed away in 2010, were two of the most daring, courageous and, some might argue, crazy sailors the world has ever seen. Their exploits sailing offshore in their 16ft (4.9m) Wayfarer dinghy Wanderer are the stuff of legend. Trips from Scotland to Norway, up the eastern seaboard of America into Canada were nothing to Frank, the driving force behind these escapades. His thirst for adventure seemed entirely out of keeping with his shy, diffident personality. It’s clear that Margaret, who was his shipmate and wife for 44 years, misses him profoundly.

“Was I scared? Yes! In fact I woke up the other night with that terrified feeling I used to get when I was at sea sometimes in rough weather. You’d have to be crazy not to be scared. The thing was, I didn’t make a fuss, and I think Frank liked that. If I’d been noisy and scared I don’t think I would have been his crew for very long – but I was quiet and scared and just got on with things. Frank himself never showed any signs of fear. He was always very kind andvery gentle. He was a lovely man, so thoughtful to his crew, and I was very lucky to get the chance to sail with him.”

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2020 من Classic Boat.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة April 2020 من Classic Boat.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من CLASSIC BOAT مشاهدة الكل
Classic Boat

The Need For Speed

Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
ROW YOUR BOAT
Classic Boat

ROW YOUR BOAT

There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
Traditional Tool
Classic Boat

Traditional Tool

JOINER’S NAME STAMP

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2021
Classic misuse of a word
Classic Boat

Classic misuse of a word

Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Classic Boat

SCUD MISSILE

Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2021
BOSUN'S BAG
Classic Boat

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Classic Boat

DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man

Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Classic Boat

CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl

Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
Classic Boat

AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls

A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
Classic Boat

Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!

A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2021