"Hannah Crosses the Bar"

Debbie & I sold Younger Girl in San Diego in August. Proper etiquette demands that we post a final blog entry, within a reasonable time. Traditionally, that post would include a review of the crew that made the boat experience what it was. In the case of Younger Girl, those numbers would be ### crew throughout the #,### nm she was under our command. Figuring that all out would require no small amount of both research and memory on my part. Procrastination being what it is, a post of that nature will come, but not today.

Today, I'm posting a tribute to the "best damn crew I ever did see!" Of course, I'm referring to our First Officer, Hannah (Stinky) Hayward Sciarretta. Earlier this month, she "swallowed the anchor", giving up sailing and life itself. She was 16. (Just got her driver's license.)

She was well known by her many "pirate" names: Stinks, Stinky Lu, Lu Lu, The Stinkster, Seniorita Stinks, Little Girl, Stinky Girl, Lil' Stinky Girl, Stink E. Dog, and, Stinky McDog. But, shipboard, she was mostly just plain Stinky!

In the parlance of Columbia River sailors and boatmen, Hannah crossed the bar on 8 November 2014. This, coincidently, was seven years, to the day, that I boarded Younger Girl in Brunswick, Georgia to begin our cruising life.

She was our boat's lookout. She never failed us. She will be missed, more than you can imagine!