Denver has always been my home. During my High School years (late 60's) I would spend a couple of weeks during summers with an Aunt in Somerset, Massachusetts. This dear Aunt had no children and was always at a loss as to how to keep me entertained. She did have a few friends with boats.

A few of these friends were willing to put up with me from time to time and take me sailing. One of these friends was a member of the very conservative congregation at her church. This woman, Beatrice Greenalch had a lovely Starling Burgess designed sloop dating from the early 1900's. The boat was 31' loa with a dwl of 15.5' if I remember correctly. The name of the boat was the "Queen Bea". Beatrice rather liked having someone else aboard to be her "auto pilot". It allowed her to fish and mess with the boat. Beatrice did everything on the boat herself. She was single and the boat was her passion. Note the home made dodger in the photograph. This was 1967.

Beatrice would smoke cigarettes on the boat and every time she lite one up she remind me "you don't need to tell your Aunt that I smoke do you?". When we were rocked by large wakes she would say "G.. D... sportsfisherman". She would tell me that some of the rules were a bit more lax aboard a boat. It was aboard the "Queen Bea" that I learned to love classic sailboats and the people that care for them.

Great memories indeed.