The Dryden Family

On August 20th we arrived at Jupiter's Smile and we found that all was well. It took a few days to put things back to normal and that included inflating the dinghy and mounting the motor. The little Nissan started-up on the first try, but we had snagged the dinghy on a small stub of rebar sticking out of the concrete wall of the dock and when I took the dinghy out for a first spin I noticed water where it wasn’t supposed to be. We took the motor off and we hoisted the dinghy out of the water again, dried it out and patched the hole with gorilla tape, inside and out. That patch has held so far, but I think we may have a slow leak in the high-pressure inflatable floor necessitating re-inflation of the floor each morning. Add fixing the floor to the list. At the top of the list was to get our Guatemalan cruising permit renewed through the agent, Raúl.

While Bryan (S/V Pearl S. Buck) and I were waiting to meet with Raúl, Bryan suddenly stood up and greeted Nancy Dryden. Bryan introduced me to her and she introduced us to her children and friends. About two weeks earlier, four robbers had boarded their boat, S/V Sunday’s Child, had murdered Nancy’s husband, Dan, and she had received serious injuries. Two of the alleged robbers have been arrested. This was the first time Bryan had seen Nancy since her return from the hospital. She stated, “she would love to take her family out sailing if she could find a captain. Did we know any?” Bryan said he would take them out and I chimed in with my offer to help if they needed it.

So on the 23rd Bryan and I checked the boat and then the crew of eight backed Sunday’s Child out of her slip and into the lake. I was on the helm and Bryan was on the foredeck with Nancy, her grown children Jessica and Daniel, Brian (Jessica’s husband), Reneé (David’s girlfriend) and Ale (a family friend). While they were getting lessons from Bryan, I hoisted the mainsail and headed downwind toward Lago Izabel. They listened and learned and took turns at the helm and handling lines as we jibed downwind. Downwind sailing is very relaxing because the boat is moving with the wind and the boat and those on board feel less of it. Once we turned and headed back upwind, the boat heeled a little and the wind speed was accentuated because the boat was now headed at an angle to, but into the wind. Smiles widened as pulses quickened. Nancy sobbed a little and we all knew that this was the kind of moment her husband wanted for his family, but never got to realize. Dan’s family was working together on a well-found vessel, sailing smartly in the tropics. His spirit was there.

Nancy told us that they were going to keep the boat, but would leave it in Rio Dulce in a boat yard while they returned to Alaska after the legal wheels were put into motion. The family intends to rename the boat, Kwiana, a made-up word derived from the Upik Eskimo word Quy’ana which translates to “Thank you.” They plan to return and sail during the winter, just as Dan had planned. The timing of all of that is uncertain.

Jessica and Bryan in the buffet line at a pot luck.

So Bryan and I got to know this wonderful family. On several occasions we ate together and talked at length. Nancy picked Bryan's brain and Bryan gave great advice regarding the care of the boat while would be gone. I committed to giving a weekly e-mail report schedule since the boat is stored near Nana Juana and on my morning walking route.

The Rio Dulce is a bustling, but poor town with many opportunities. Among the businesses that have had a head start in this region is drug trafficking and organized crime. From information told to us, the perpetrators of the murder were members of a crime family and that the bosses preferred to conduct business with less attention on their activities than the murder of cruising US citizens attracted. The mother of at least one of the alleged murderers (a minor lieutenant in the crime family in her own right) and one of her sons were assassinated and the two suspects presently in custody were found by the police because of an anonymous tip. It seems that “the family” was cleaning house and sending a warning to anyone who jeopardizes their business while at the same time throwing a bone to the police who could look good by capturing at least two of the suspects. After repeated delays, Nancy was finally, on September 12th, asked to identify the two suspects in custody (which she did) and she was deposed before a judge. She was finally free to leave the country leaving the justice system to deal with the perpetrators of the violence against them.
In the final stages of preparation for the storage of the boat, Bryan is pouring diesel fuel, Brian is catching any diesel spills and wiping sweat from his brow, Jess is holding the funnel and Nancy is supervising. How many cruisers does it take to screw in a....? They got it done.

Nancy, Jessica and Brian had plane tickets that routed them to Alaska through Houston on the day that hurricane Ike blew through, so even the weather was conspiring against her return to Alaska, delaying their departure by yet one more day. We assume that the family is reunited in Alaska now and that they will be busy gathering together the pieces of their lives in familiar and supportive surroundings.

It has been a privilege for me to get to know them a little. They are a close family with a spiritual bond to each other, with the departed Dan, with the good things in nature and really – with everything. They seem to live a life of serenity despite the tragedy and hardships they have encountered. They are strong because of their commitment to each other, because of their readiness to gracefully accept the challenges of living a full, exciting, passionate life and because of their openness as they include others in their experiences. I love and respect them immensely. The way they celebrate life together is a model for us all.

Letting those thoughts sink in……until next time – be well!