Dr. Burford, a retired Q.B.A. professor from L.S.U.,purchased Bliss new. He had kept her moored on Bayou Castine for thirty (30) years or so. He was a wealth of information and advice. Over the past year, we traded many emails and one long phone call.
It was more than evident that the day he sold her was a very sad day for him. He spoke fondly of sailing with his son and granddaughter.
He emailed me a magazine article reviewing the Helms 24 Dolphin.
The boat reviewed in the article, it turns out, is hull no. 330, our very own Bliss.
Each time we corresponded, I offered to crew for him. I really wanted him to sail with me. That was not to be.
I sent email twice in the last few months, but they went unanswered. I heard from him last on February 1, 2010. He acknowledged receiving the link to this blog. Here is what he said:
"Thank you. I appreciate your sending me this. It reminds me very much of some of my trips from Mandeville to Pass Christian and the rest of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and back. When I bought Bliss back in 1978 it was love at first sight, and the love never faded. . . . The reason I sold her was that my health took a turn for the worse and I couldn’t spend the time with her that I did previously. I couldn’t stand to see her just sit there and deteriorate . . . . I was disappointed that I never heard from the person who bought her from me, but you have more than made up for that."
Dr. Burford died March 17, 2010. His obituary said that “[h]e loved to sail and tell sailing tales.”
To Dr. Burford, I offer a sailor’s farewell: "Fair winds and a following sea and long may your big jib draw!"
You have no idea how touched I was to hear that my mother had finally been able to contact you today. My father, or Pop as he was known to his family, had two loves...my mother and Bliss. According to my mother, she wasn't sure which one he loved more!
ReplyDeleteHow I wish my father could spin a few sailing tales with you, and offer you some advice from his lessons learned over the 30 or so years in that school of experience. He devoured sailing magazines and books about sailing adventures. I imagine that he pictured himself the captain of his own adventures on the open ocean.
He was a wonderful teacher, counselor, father, friend, husband and a gentle, gentle man.
I look forward to meeting you in the very near future, as we wish to spread Pop's remains in the waters he loved from the boat he dearly loved, his aptly named Bliss.
Enjoy her, as we surely have. I know that I will relive memories when I read your blog. Thank you.
What a wonderful tribute! I'm Roger Burford's granddaughter that he referred to in his call, and spent many a weekend and school holiday with him on the boat. Learning to sail was only a minor part of what I learned with him on the boat. The day he sold the boat was heartbreaking to me, too. The only reason I didn't buy it is that I knew it wouldn't get the attention from me that he knew Bliss deserved. I am so, so happy that you love Bliss as much as we do!
ReplyDeleteNicole Judice