Three’s A Crew (Kathrene Pinkerton)-While growing up, my parents only allowed TV watching Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday night and we wrapped up our treasured TV time with Sunday’s back-to-back lineup of The Wonderful World of Disney and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. That left a lot of time for me to fill (especially in the summer) and a good share of that time I filled with books. I was the youngest of five children, and everyone spent a fair amount of time reading, so there were always plenty of books available. Coming from a family of boaters influenced my early focus on books about boats and boating and while I enjoyed a sea story of any type, I particularly enjoyed sea stories about our local cruising waters. Because we were on a tight budget we made a lot of trips to the library, but occasionally we had the special treat of going to Shorey’s (Used) Bookstore in Seattle. At Shorey’s we were actually allowed to purchase the books and never had to take them back—remember on time, or get a library fine? Today, I still seek out used bookstores whenever possible and it is one of our favorite pastimes while cruising.
During one of our trips to Shorey’s (I was about 10 years old) I came across Three’s A Crew by Kathrene Pinkerton which finally, brings me to the point of all of this. I thought I would share with you some of my favorite books that depict our cruising grounds and provide a brief peek into the not so distant past. All of these are out of print, but the power of the internet can bring you your own copy. Or perhaps, like me, you enjoy digging through dusty shelves in small used bookstores tucked in behind the local grocery store.
Robert and Kathrene Pinkerton were authors which allowed them some flexibility in where they lived and in 1924, they decided to buy a boat and cruise North. At this point, the extent of their watercraft experience was canoeing but that did not deter them and the story follows their seven year development as cruisers. They started with summers only, transitioning to year-round living aboard, and finally “swallowing the anchor” and moving back ashore. Kathrene’s ability to describe what she saw and the people they met, pulls you into the story and makes you part of her world. This was a world, I finally discovered 50 years later, that no longer existed. The coastal community had evolved and her depictions of logging, fishing, the boats, and the people provide a snapshot of a fascinating community. Some things have changed in small amounts, others quite significantly, but the water and the mountains remain the same. By the time I realized I was not going to see exactly what the Pinkertons saw, it no longer mattered. While others yearn for the open ocean, Three’s a Crew left me yearning for the Inside Passage.
Other more well-known books have been written about the Inside Passage. One of these is The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet (also an excellent read), which was published in 1968, but Three’s a Crew was the first when it was published in 1940. I still have my copy that I found at Shorey’s; It is one of the rare 1940 editions but I have worn it out and it is too fragile to read at this point. There have been some paperback reprintings and I recommend you try to find one with the 1991 foreword by Charles Lillard. He does an excellent job of helping the reader understand where the Pinkerton’s story fits in the framework of history.
Order up a copy, pour a cuppa, settle in and enjoy. And remember, I have approximately 250 other books I cannot wait to tell you about…
The Slight Edge (Jeff Olson)-You might wonder what this book, which does not appear to be boat related, has to do with boats and boating. This book comes from a different arena, but its application can help achieve your boating dreams. I came across this book when first published in 2005. There have been several updated versions, and I have read a couple, but I still prefer the first one. Originally, I picked this up to read assuming it would relate to my work. However, I soon realized it can be applied to all aspects of your life, including moving your current boat program forward. While I do recommend you read the book, some of the key components I have used are as follows:
First-small incremental steps that are easy to do, are just as easy not to do. And the compounding effect will either move you towards or away from your goals at an increasing rate. My favorite example of this concept from the book is that of eating a cheeseburger every day. Day one, no problem, day 365, it may not be working out so well for your health and well-being. The inverse, working out for just a few minutes a day, over time will result in better health. And you will not notice the progress in either direction on day one, or two, or even three, but you cannot escape the compounding effect over time.
Second-Ready, Fire, Aim, or Plan, Do, Review. The point here is simple, don’t get so wrapped up in perfect preparation hoping for perfect implementation that you never start. Rather, launch your plan as soon as possible and use feedback to adjust course as you move along.
Third-the Power of Momentum, keep moving forward even if it is in tiny increments. This also happens to be Newton’s first law, also called the “law of inertia”, which states: an object at rest remains at rest, and an object that is moving will continue to move straight and with constant velocity, if and only if there is no net force acting on that object. I like thinking about the law of inertia as it provides an excellent visual and allows me to make a choice, would I rather be an object in motion or at rest? I choose motion almost every time.
Fourth-the Power of Habit, simple little actions repeated over time which move you either in the direction you want to go, or do not want to go. The topic of habit forming and breaking and the impact that has on our lives is huge but often sneaks by under the radar. I try to analyze my habits on a regular basis to see if they are serving me well.
There is so much more in the book that I find useful, but these are the top points I use all the time to move forward through not only major (and minor) boat projects but through any other aspect or obstacle in life. So if you feel like you are stuck remember to take a simple positive action, followed by another and eventually you look back amazed at how far you have come.
Big Toot (Walt Woodward) A short, but fun book that follows the boating adventures of the Woodward family as they move through a succession of boats and experiences in the same waters that I boat on. Perhaps it is the parallel to my own life and boating journey that has lodged this book in my “Top Ten Favorite Books” list since the first time I picked it up.
The Woodwards started their boating adventures in 1952 with a small do-it-yourself kit that resulted in an 8’ pram named Little Toot (yes, after the character in one of the children’s Golden Books) This was followed a year later by a 21 foot outboard cruiser with a small cabin. This is where the name Big Toot starts and would be the name on two more, successively larger cruisers culminating in Big Toot III, a 46 foot cruiser purchased in 1973. The bulk of the book’s adventures center around Big Toot II a 35 foot cruiser they purchased in 1962.
The Woodward’s adventures cover the waters of Puget Sound and northward through Canada to Desolation Sound and a bit beyond. The stories, while assembled loosely in chronological order, are arranged by topic and Mr. Woodward, a journalist for much of his career, has a writing style that is very engaging. In short, he tells a good sea story and when the book ends, you’re left wishing for more. Small insights to their personal lives add interest and color to each chapter. The stories of what went right and what went wrong are told with humility and humor and illustrate what all boaters know only too well. Some times it just doesn’t go the way you planned!
If you’re from the Pacific Northwest then this is an easy book to enjoy as it covers the bays, islands and waterways you are familiar with. If you’re not from the PNW you will still enjoy the stories and personalities the Mr. Woodward brings to life. No longer being published you will need to find your copy on the used book market but it is well worth the search.
Todd Powell Boats 