Lin and Larry Pardey

Lin and Larry Pardey are a married couple famous internationally for their expertise in small boat sailing. They have sailed over 185,000 miles together, having circumnavigated the world both eastabout and westabout. They have also sailed westabout (against the prevailing winds) past all the great southern capes, including Cape Horn. Larry built the two boats they used for two circumnavigations. Both boats were under 30 feet and were designed by Lyle Hess. Neither boat had an engine (except for an outboard on the dinghy which they carried on board Taleisin). They have also delivered race boats and charter boats.

Larry also was one of the first people to sail across the Sahara desert in 1967. In an expedition organized by the French Colonel de Buchett and sponsored by National Geographic among others, he captained a North American team of three including Richard Arthur and Warren Zeibarth as they sailed landyachts from Colum bechar in Algeria to Noachott in Mauritania, a distance of approximately 1700 miles. For this each was awarded the Mauritanian Legion of Honor.

Larry (born 1939 in Victoria, British Columbia) won the International Oceanic Award from the Royal Institute of Navigation in 1996, and was presented this honour by the Princess Royal, Princess Anne in 1997.

Lin (born 1944 in Detroit, Michigan) was awarded the Geoff Pack award by the Ocean Cruising Club in 2001 and they both received the SSCA Service Award in 2004. They currently race a 110 year old cutter in New Zealand but still cruise on board their cutter Taleisin part of each year. They have recently completed another circumnavigation, bringing them and Taleisin back to their homebase in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf.

Together they have written eleven books and created two VHS tapes and four DVDs.

In May 2007, Lin and Larry entrusted the foundry casting patterns for Taleisin to the safe keeping and management of the Spaulding Wooden Boat Center in Sausalito, California. The patterns will be used for education programs at the Center by the Arques School of Traditional Boatbuilding and loaned to others who wish to have parts cast.

The Cruising Club of America awarded their prestigious Far Horizon Award for 2009 to Lin and Larry in recognition of their combined voyaging on board many boats covering mileage totalling more than 200,000 for Larry and about 194,000 for Lin and doing so in a manner that is consistent with the goals of this the CCA.

Awards received by Lin and Larry include:

Mauritanian Legion of Honour, as Captain of first American team to sail across the Sahara Desert in a land yacht,1967. 
Outstanding Sailor of the year –West Vancouver Yacht Club  1978
French Sailing Federation – Silver medal, Landyachting 1967
Cruising Sailors to contribute most to the sport of Sailing - voted by readers of Sail Magazine 1990.
International Oceanic Award - presented by Royal Institute of Navigation sponsored by Little Ship Club 1995 - in recognition of Larry's voyaging  using traditional methods of navigation.
Ocean Cruising Club Award - for contributions to Seamanship for small boat sailing.  Presented to Lin Pardey 1996. 
Geoff Pac Memorial Award- to both Lin and Larry for fostering and encouraging ocean cruising in small yachts 1998
Cruising World Hall of Fame-2000
Ocean Cruising Club Merit Award –To Lin and Larry for inspiring voyages including a west-about rounding of Cape Horn 2003
Seven Seas Cruising Club Service Award – To Lin and Larry for their lifetime voyaging achievements 2004
Cruising Club of America Far Horizons Award- To Lin and Larry for lifetime achievements and contributions to seamanship 2009
Sail Magazines Top 40 Sailors who made a Difference–2010- Citation - As America’s first couple of cruising, Lin and Larry have inspired countless sailors.

Taleisin voted Best of Show – Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival 1984

              Best of Show – Sydney Woodenboat Festival 1990
              Best of Show – Capetown South Africa Wooden boat festival 1993
              Best of Show - Cruising Division – Risor (Norway) 1997
              Best of Show -  Victoria British Columbia Wooden Boat Show 2003
              Best of Show – Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival 2005

Seraffyn voted Best of Show – Newport (Rhode Island) Wooden Boat Festival 2009

Bibliography

Books:

• Cruising in Seraffyn ISBN 0901281042
• Seraffyn's European Adventure ISBN 0964603640
• Seraffyn's Mediterranean Adventure ISBN 0924486155
• Seraffyn's Oriental Adventure ISBN 0964603632
• Storm Tactics Handbook ISBN ISBN 9781929214471
• The Cost Conscious Cruiser ISBN 0964603659
• The Self Sufficient Sailor ISBN 0964603675
• The Capable Cruiser ISBN 0964603624
• The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew ISBN 0964603608
• Details of Classic Boat Construction: The Hull ISBN 0964603683
• Bull Canyon, a Boatbuilder, a Writer and Other Wildlife 978-1-929214-67-9

VHS tapes:

• Cruising Coral Seas
• Cruising with Lin and Larry Pardey
• Voyaging with Lin and Larry Pardey
• The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew

DVDs:

• Cruising Has No Limits ISBN 1929214170
• Get Ready to Cruise
• Get Ready to Cross Oceans
• Storm Tactics

Further reading

• Down, Susan (18 March 1995). "Homes on the Sea". Times-Colonist (Victoria). p. 1. 
• Lanthier, Nancy (19 August 2004). "Extra: Lin and Larry Pardey". Vancouver Sun. p. C18. 

Sources

• Good Old Boat magazine, August 2006
• National Geographic Magazine November 1965
• Cruising World Magazine November 2000

References

Adlard Coles Heavy Weather Sailing, 6th Edition edited by Peter Bruce

External links

• Lin and Larry Pardey official website
• Interview with the Pardeys at 48 North