Thank you so much for arranging my visit to Dorade on September 13th. It was such a treat to be on board Dorade again after 18 years. We were able to watch her under sail and she looks beautiful! It was great to be able to show my wife this boat that she’s heard so much about and sleeps under a picture of.
I also wanted to thank Ben for his tremendous hospitality. When we arrived, he gave us the run of the boat and let me explore while he cleaned up after the day’s sail. When he was done, we sat in the cabin and shared stories of the boat. It was a wonderful afternoon and I am so thankful to you for letting it happen. He also was kind enough to give me a copy of the book Dorade, the History of an Ocean Yacht, a book which I’ve had on my reading list for years.
Attached is one of my favorite pictures of Dorade under sail. This was taken in either 1994 or 1995, when the boat was at Four Winds Camp. If you look carefully, at the tail edge of the jib, you will see a person running aft, who is me. Also, I posted photos from our visits to Dorade on August 25th (on the dock) and September 13th to my flickr account. Here is the link.
You have done such an excellent job of restoring Dorade to her original glory. I wish you the best of luck in racing her on the East Coast and I hope she will return to the west coast some day!
Thank you again for your hospitality. I don’t know how I can ever repay it!
Sincerely,
John O. Tulloch
Email sent to Matt and Pam, 28 September 2013