Four classic sailboats, one classy guy the Chesapeake Bay lost a great fan of pocket cruising daysailers when Jim Harrison passed away unexpectedly on June 13 just short of his 69th birthday. An ebullient man who lived life to the fullest and loved his work, which happened to be teaching Kinesiology as it relates to working with prospective teachers on activities to use with elementary students to enable them to be successful in sports and other active endeavors.
Jim loved to run and bike, but it was sailing he loved best. Although he got into sailing a bit late, Jim said that owning a boat was a life-long dream, starting with a Sunfish purchased with his brother Dale in 1982, and spurred on by the 40% discount his longtime companion Rosemarie Trimeloni had working part time at J.C. Penney.
Jim then set about learning to sail in Seneca Creek. His second boat was a West Wight Potter 15, which he named Hooked. Jim and Rosemarie sailed the rivers looking for restaurants, took voyages across the bay to Fairlee and Tolchester, overnighted in the tiny cabin, had lovely breakfasts and dinners in the cockpit and explored beaches along the bay.
Her name came from Jim's book, Hooked on Fitness, published by Simon Schuster in the early 90s. Hooked was purchased with the profits from that book. Then came a used Rhodes 22 from the venerable Stan Spitzer of General Boats in Edenton, North Carolina.
Jim had researched the boat and the small company and became intrigued by all the clever innovations and the uncompromising hands-on philosophy of Stan and his brother. A friendship was forged, and the couple made frequent trips to Edenton to check out new boats and solve repair problems.
Trading the used boat for full purchase price, a brand new Rhodes 22, Recess, was soon in Jim's possession. Recess was to take him into retirement. He liked to think people would ask "Where's Jim?" and the answer would be, "He's at Recess." It was a one-of-a-kind beauty----black hull, white topsides with turquoise trim and canvas, which was always Jim's favorite color.
Stan even used one of Rosemarie's "innovations" in the cockpit, which later became a Rhodes standard. Jim truly loved this boat, and he enjoyed cleaning it as much as sailing it. He designed and built many useful accessories, usually from wood, that helped him keep everything shipshape.
No one else in the family really sails, although Jim’s daughter, Wendy is now talking about learning, because her 9-year old daughter, the apple of Jim's eye, enjoyed the time she spent with her grandfather sailing, cooking, and overnighting on the boat as well as swimming along her sides. His life was a daily example of truly doing what one enjoys as often as possible. Sail on, big man.