CAPTAIN JOSEPH RODGERS
Santa Cruz has a diverse sailing culture. We have people that see the boats on the water and wonder what it would like to be out there. The other end of the spectrum are the people in Santa Cruz that are some of the best sailors in the world. I would classify Joe Rodgers as being in this class.
While Joe was a superior sailor, I did not sense the “racing passion” many sailors have. This did not detract from his immense sailing knowledge. Joe was a surveyor of boats. If you were purchasing a boat, you needed Joe in your corner to ascertain the true value of a vessel. Joe was an sailing instructor for Pacific Yachting and served a valuable service introducing future sailors to the wonders of sailing.
I didn’t get to know Joe until I got a slip on Q dock where Joes boat “Tessa” was about 4 slips down the dock from mine. Being an avid sailor, it seems Joe was always at his boat working on it (aren’t we all always working on our boats?) It seems like there were many times we were both on Q dock working, talking and getting to know each other. The better you got to know Joe, the more you liked him.
It was known that Joe was having “health issues” but he never talked much about these issues. As a Pharmacist, I would comment on his medicines and side effects when he would ask. He dealt with these health issues in the typical Joe way; never getting angry or begging for sympathy. It was just a fact he seemed to deal with on his own.
When his health was ebbing, you would see a for sale sign on his boat. Then the sign would disappear when he was better. Finally, he sold his Tessa to Matt and Tosh but Joe was not done with Tessa. He would come to the boat frequently to help and to teach the new owners about Tessa. Over the last 6 months, Joe’s visits to Q dock got less frequent. The reports from Matt were not encouraging.
I did not hear about Joe’s demise until I was on vacation and got an email from a club member about a sail out in his honor. I was very disappointed that I could not participate in this sail out. Joe was so loved and respected by everyone that knew him! I understand the sail out was well attended and it was a beautiful day.
With respect and sorrow: Captain Joseph Rodgers : R.I.P. and FAIR WINDS!
Barry Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice
Thanks for posting this, Barry.
ReplyDeleteDiana