On a summer sailing trip in early July 2015, we anchored in the deeper areas of Liberty Bay outside Poulsbo, Washington. As we sat on the edge of the cabin house enjoying the sun and peaceful magic Circe brings, a fellow in a dinghy motored up alongside with a friendly greeting. “Ahoy! Is this Circe? The Seaborn boat?”
This is not unusual when Circe is out on the greater Puget Sound area. She is distinct and often recognized by her long, sleek lines and low deck compared to the waterline. This is her charm
“Yes, this is Circe. Have you sailed on her?” we asked. Navy cadets and Scouts have spent time on Circe for training credit and a unique experience. It would be unsurprising if this gentleman were a cadet in his youth, and the area has a naval presence.
“Will you be here for a few more hours?” he asked.
“We’ll be here until tomorrow.” We acknowledged, with a mix of curiosity and caution. We planned on dinner away that evening, leaving Circe with no one onboard.
“I have something for you. I will be back in a couple of hours.” He said with excitement, and without another word or a moment’s hesitation he quickly motored away.
There is a bit of unease when you leave a boat at anchor with no one on board and a stranger tells you they will be returning at an undefined time with an unidentified… something.
We waited.
Thankfully, the stranger returned well before our planned dinner. He was genuinely friendly and did have a gift of sorts.
I do not recall the stranger sharing his name. He explained he last saw Circe on the hard and laid up while Stan rebuilt her in the 1970s at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle.
“I saw her sitting on shore, all torn apart. There were a couple homeless folks sitting beneath her by a fire. I thought she might burn down.” He said by way of explanation. “I went on board to save anything important. I found this. I figured the boat was lost. I am glad it isn’t. You should have this.”
He handed us a framed, original line-drawing depiction of Circe as she appeared in 1934 as she arrived in Hawaii on her first TransPac race. This is a picture none of us had seen before, although Stan Keck would have.
And, as quickly as he arrived, he departed once more, forever a bit of a mystery, twice across 40 years.
Circe has a bit of magic about her, and like the Greek goddess whose name she shares, casts a spell on the men around her. Those lifted from Circe’s spells are made taller and more handsome. I like to think this stranger left us feeling a bit taller and looked better on himself when he departed.