Operating a small business in the same coastal town that you live in has a few drawbacks, but not many. If the business is marine (specifically sailmaking) and you have children it’s likely that your children will follow the sea in some fashion. It has been my extreme good fortune to have been (and continue to be) immersed in such a business and, even better, to have witnessed my two sons discover the wonders of our sea coast and later, the benefits (and trials) of a small business…. Going to sea is one of the great adventures available to many of us and Tim and Matt Sperry were clearly headed that way early on in their lives. No manner of watercraft was exempt from their experimentation, but sail (there is a certain bias here that we can’t avoid) was the primary means of motion on the water, ice and land. For Tim the possibilities of this sailing thing were slowly but surely reaching somewhat further than Buzzards Bay and his younger brother was more than a little enthusiastic. The years of college did nothing to diminish any of their desire to head out and the sooner the better.

By 1990 a destination had been arrived at. They would depart from Marion, head west for a couple of years and arrive in Marion 30 thousand miles later. A tentative crew and a plan of sorts was in the works as well, but alas, they still lacked a boat or even a prospect. It’s not easy to find a boat that will fit five guys, will be expected to deliver them intact over 30K miles of ocean, can be had for less than $10K and can still be slipped by ten wary parents. On August 2nd, 1991 the selection of possibilities took a wind driven turn for the better. A hurricane named Bob left dozens of boats on the beach or worse and many would be considered total losses and sold by insurance companies for just the kind of money 5 guys in their early 20’s considered realistic. A Formosa 41 was lying on a stone wall just short of the woods on one of the coastal marshes in Marion. It had two major holes in it (read 3 feet x 5 feet give or take) but the rig was still in it and the hatches, doors and drawers all opened easily (indicating a strong hull whose basic integrity had not been compromised even by the terrible beating it had taken). It also had a good diesel in it. This could work!

Forty five hundred bought it and a little more brought it over to dad’s (my) house where it would be transformed… Things were looking up, though this boat was a long way from being something parents would be willing to invest their sons in. Still, it was tangible and plans now had something beside wishful thinking to activate the crew.

Work began in October of '91 and proceeded slowly over the winter and into the spring of '92 when a serious push toward a late summer departure date was put in gear. Work on leaky decks, punky wooden spars, the holes!!, interior renovation, rigging, the engine, new canvas, new cushions and new sails was delegated among the five crew and by mid summer enough progress had been made to seriously consider a name. Lazarus (raised from the dead – offered up by Cappy Perkins) got the 5 man nod. With work in high gear and excitement mounting, weekly meetings of the five would focus on fun things like routes and stops and necessary things like financing and responsibilities.

In September of '92 (not too far behind schedule), a well patched boat was moved to Burr Bros Boat Yard for the rush of final tasks before a hopeful October departure. On October 1st a good looking, rebuilt, Formosa 41 ketch was formally christened “Lazarus” by Anne Gardner and launched without incident. The hull was sound. The deck would be another matter.

As with all such projects that have departure dates, activity becomes faster and more furious as the date approaches. Watching (and helping) your offspring pursue a life experience with such intensity is very gratifying. The focused energy of five young men with south pacific destinations and beyond is truly awesome and the day of departure did come, albeit after a postponement or two and one brief but false start. On October 25th after a tidal “miscalculation” requiring a short delay, Lazarus and five young men headed down the Bay on a great adventure.

Not everything onboard was ready for what was ahead but it was safe to say that Lazarus and crew were starting out on even footing. The ketch was strong and seaworthy but with numerous imperfections that would have to be dealt with underway and or in exotic ports where facilities and parts would be difficult to come by or just plain unavailable. The crew was starting out pretty much the same. Each was strong and willing but with much to learn and the learning process would, of necessity take place underway or in faraway places. For 2.5 years they learned peacefully on warm sunny passages or quickly and harshly in heavy weather and ocean storms, They learned how five men can be individuals and still work as a unit, how to live with some of Lazarus’s shortcomings and how to change others.

This was an ongoing process starting on our own east coast, down to and across the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, wending south with island stops across the Pacific to Auckland, across the Tasman to Sidney, around the top of Australia and the bottom of Indonesia, over into the Indian Ocean, across to Madagascar and the east coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope to Cape Town and the Atlantic again, across to Brazil and the Amazon, up to Trinidad and further up to Bermuda and finally Buzzards Bay and Marion…. Two and a half years and more than 30,000 miles of honing skills, pressing limits, strengthening weaknesses, experiencing cultures, learning and learning and doing. Add to this a formal (or informal) education and Tim, Matt, Mark, Billy and Chris came away in a strong place from which to push off toward their respective futures. In fact each continues to enjoy and do well at their chosen endeavors. There is, of course, the bias of a father in all of this, but there are clear and unarguable benefits that I am confident are the result of that time.

I get to work and interact with Tim and Matt, and I can imagine no more productive or enjoyable relationship. For the most part this is a factor of communication, experience, common sense and humor. All required courses that were necessary for the success and completion of the Lazarus adventure. Today Matt is president of Sperry Sails Inc. (Tim is president of Sperry Tents Inc.) and these same factors are indispensable parts as he continues to build the business. They are reflected in fine products, great service and good will. We like to talk about sails and sailing and we’d like to share a story or two with you. Stop and see us sometime.

- Steve Sperry