Dear Janet

I was so sorry to hear belatedly of Dave's death. Please accept my condolences , to you and the girls and the whole family.

I had great respect for Dave and we enjoyed each others company on sailing trips afloat and ashore for many years.

Dave was very proud of you and the girls.

He became a friend after volunteering to join me, with Harold, on a 3 week cruise on my Elizabethan 31 yacht STROLLA to Denmark. in June 1987.Dave was recovering from his industrial accident and Harold from a  motor accident. We got acquainted from an advertisement I had put in Yachting Monthly. I had a sabbatical from work as a lawyer.

On the trip we crossed from Lowestoft to Den Helder, then through the Kiel Canal up through the islands to Aalborg ,through the Limfiord to Thyboron, then down the North Sea to the German Frisian Islands (the best bit, long spinnaker run at night and beyond) then back to Harwich. 

We ran out of diesel by a big bridge ,and marina, just before Thyboron, but luckily had a small spare can. Dave's expertise as a lorry driver in bleeding  and sorting the engine was indispensible. We filled up at the filling station by the bridge and got some breakfast at the cafe, where locals were drinking Carlsberg for breakfast! Yes,we did join them.

I kept in touch with Dave and you after- -you will remember meeting up at RHYC Woolverstone. But lost touch when I moved my current boat BALERNO,a Moody 376,down to Southampton.

I was back on the East Coast on Balerno in September and visited Suffolk Yacht Harbour and the pub in Levington, and Felixstowe Ferry, and the Freston Boot, all  with great memories of Dave.

I would love to hear from you.

Andrew Morton

amortonco@aol.com

01483575290

(Guildford Surrey)