Hand, reef, and steer was a term used in the British Royal Navy beginning in the 18th century, denoting an able-bodied seaman with more than two years experience at sea and considered well acquainted with his duty.
Hand, Reef, and Diaper is about sailing to the South Pacific in 1977 with a yearling, Christopher, who learned to walk at sea and well acquainted with his yellow potty seat.
This memoir is about blue water sailing before GPS with a kindergarten navigator infatuated with a desire to explore South Pacific islands without understanding what he's really seeking. With their one-year-old as crew, he and his wife leave burgeoning careers and the security of a pediatrician to embark on a ten thousand-mile voyage, discovering the most wonderful years of their lives.
Perhaps motivation for this voyage is the memory of shipmates, wondering what they might have accomplished had they lived. Having survived war, the skipper of yacht Renaissance appreciates that life is too precious to waste. Living life to its fullest is a way to honor their sacrifice. This is a voyage of discovery and of those who offered helped along the way.
This is about breathtaking tropical islands of the South Pacific and the astonishing friendliness of the Marquesan's and French Polynesian islanders who have so little and yet share so much. This memoir will delight those who dearly love sailing and will laugh at navigational errors made long before GPS. And this is for everyone who loves romantic adventure.
Embarking on this voyage and risking the life of Chris, a one-year-old, seems irresponsible, giving the skipper a sense of guilt while this young sailor learns to walk at sea and weathers storms that rock him to sleep. He attracts islanders who are enthralled to see a yearling towhead, and they open their hearts with gifts of love.
There are wonderful experiences meeting sailors from around the world, and they often volunteer to fix a broken engine, babysit Chris, or provide medical aid. There is also sad news of sailors who perished.
