Crusing with Yuko  
Words by John Welsford - Hamilton, New Zealand
Photos by Mark Delbrueck - Tacoma, Washington - USA

Mark Delbrueck took his camera when he went sailing with Barrett Faneuf in her home built John Welsford designed Navigator sailing dinghy. She lives in Olympia, at the southern end of Puget Sound in the Pacific Northwest. Beautiful scenic country, wonderfully challenging sailing with islands and channels, fast tidal streams, lovely beaches and at the end of each day sheltered inlets with wildlife on the beaches and the colours of autumn highlighting the dark green of the conifers.

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In real terms it is not so long since Cook and Vancouver sent their ships boats into this region to explore, and in a small boat the challenges and scenery are much the same as they were when the first Europeans arrived. It is not hard to imagine that the foam from your boats wake is mixing with that left by those pioneers, and the feeling of adventure is much enhanced by the realization that the column of smoke past the next point could have been from a Native American village.

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When we mortals go out cruising we bring home our fragile memories and a few snaps that seem so much less than the reality. It takes a special talent to really convey the feeling of the environment which we connect with when cruising, and here, the Artist and Photographer has kindly given us this window into a world where a small boat, lovely scenery and miles of water has combined to make a world such as many of us dream.

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Do visit his website, and see some of his other work, he has the ability to make the commonplace seem extraordinary.

John Welsford

www.markdelbrueck.com

More about Navigators:

SAILS

EPOXY

GEAR