| TRAVELS OF DURSMIRG VOLUME IV THE ROGUES OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND OTHER SOCIAL MISFITS Chapter 45 |
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YACHTERS, THE GOOD, BAD AND THE UGLY: BRUCE AND JEAN CHADWICK
BRUCE AND JEAN CHADWICK; We first met these two square peg social misfits in St. Augustine and they had a
very classic distinctive looking schooner rigged sailboat named “Charlotte Jean”.
This was a 42 foot steel Colvin design that was a real eye catcher with its traditional old time raked rigging that
included deadeyes, sisal running rigging and even real belaying pins. They didn’t just putt around like most of the
sailboats that motored up and down the Intracoastal Waterway never removing their sail covers..
Bruce and Jean rarely ever lit off their diesel engine and no matter how adverse the winds were they were on a
sailboat to sail and sail they did. Being in a hurry was something that they left behind in that other world that they
had escaped from.
Bruce was also known as; “Loose Bruce” and “Far Out!” was his favorite saying.
Later we rendezvoused with them on the Indian River, in Miami and Marathon.
(Read about those adventures with the sailing Chadwick’s in volume 2&3 of The Travels of Dursmirg)
Business bungling Bruce went bankrupt three times on his Grand Rapids, Michigan turkey farm where Loose Bruce
finally discovered he had lots of gravel on his bad-land farm as a new interstate highway was just being constructed
near his three time defunct turkey farm.
Bruce didn’t bat an eye; he banked the proceeds from his jackpot winning gravel receipts and immediately set about
fulfilling his long desired dream of escape and sailing away.
Among other things Bruce and Jean sailed to Europe.
Bruce didn’t want any of those fancy new fangled yachting equipment gadgets aboard his authentically classic and
very traditional sailing schooner.
The Charlotte Jean was nautically correct with hemp rope rigging complete with deadeyes and belaying pins that
were to his standards.
Gaff headed sails and even with a touch of authentic authenticity Loose Bruce added a square rigged sail with a
huge yard that made his rig traditional 19th century but also immensely labor intensive and heavily cumbersome to
operate.
Bruce didn’t have to care about labor saving devices he had a special asset, his first mate, a faithfully obedient wife
that was quiet but very hard working.
Bruce didn’t mind he was the commanding officer and Jean was the obedient crew.
We know that Loose Bruce was having the time of his life living out some childhood fantasies of a carefree
buccaneer’s life sailing the high seas.
We weren’t so sure about his poor galley slave Jean, she never ever complained. The lady was a faithful companion
and a real life adventuresome sport that followed Loose Bruce’s whimsically fantasy driven escapades and was
always there to pull her Loose Bruce out of his mindless seafaring debacles.
Every year they did what Loose Bruce called his “annual re-fit”, complete with symbolic ceremonious and community
parties where he would round up every possible participant bringing the boating community together. This was done
to start and finish the project that took a full two months.
The boat would be pulled, dry-docked and the relentless rogue Loose Bruce went on a shore vacation visiting
coffee shops and restaurants while Jean stayed behind working to make everything aboard their “Charlotte Jean”
shipshape and ready for another years cruising while she awaited her social misfit husbands return.
The Charlotte Jean was a frequent visitor to St. Augustine’s anchorage. next chapter
BRUCE AND JEAN CHADWICK; We first met these two square peg social misfits in St. Augustine and they had a
very classic distinctive looking schooner rigged sailboat named “Charlotte Jean”.
This was a 42 foot steel Colvin design that was a real eye catcher with its traditional old time raked rigging that
included deadeyes, sisal running rigging and even real belaying pins. They didn’t just putt around like most of the
sailboats that motored up and down the Intracoastal Waterway never removing their sail covers..
Bruce and Jean rarely ever lit off their diesel engine and no matter how adverse the winds were they were on a
sailboat to sail and sail they did. Being in a hurry was something that they left behind in that other world that they
had escaped from.
Bruce was also known as; “Loose Bruce” and “Far Out!” was his favorite saying.
Later we rendezvoused with them on the Indian River, in Miami and Marathon.
(Read about those adventures with the sailing Chadwick’s in volume 2&3 of The Travels of Dursmirg)
Business bungling Bruce went bankrupt three times on his Grand Rapids, Michigan turkey farm where Loose Bruce
finally discovered he had lots of gravel on his bad-land farm as a new interstate highway was just being constructed
near his three time defunct turkey farm.
Bruce didn’t bat an eye; he banked the proceeds from his jackpot winning gravel receipts and immediately set about
fulfilling his long desired dream of escape and sailing away.
Among other things Bruce and Jean sailed to Europe.
Bruce didn’t want any of those fancy new fangled yachting equipment gadgets aboard his authentically classic and
very traditional sailing schooner.
The Charlotte Jean was nautically correct with hemp rope rigging complete with deadeyes and belaying pins that
were to his standards.
Gaff headed sails and even with a touch of authentic authenticity Loose Bruce added a square rigged sail with a
huge yard that made his rig traditional 19th century but also immensely labor intensive and heavily cumbersome to
operate.
Bruce didn’t have to care about labor saving devices he had a special asset, his first mate, a faithfully obedient wife
that was quiet but very hard working.
Bruce didn’t mind he was the commanding officer and Jean was the obedient crew.
We know that Loose Bruce was having the time of his life living out some childhood fantasies of a carefree
buccaneer’s life sailing the high seas.
We weren’t so sure about his poor galley slave Jean, she never ever complained. The lady was a faithful companion
and a real life adventuresome sport that followed Loose Bruce’s whimsically fantasy driven escapades and was
always there to pull her Loose Bruce out of his mindless seafaring debacles.
Every year they did what Loose Bruce called his “annual re-fit”, complete with symbolic ceremonious and community
parties where he would round up every possible participant bringing the boating community together. This was done
to start and finish the project that took a full two months.
The boat would be pulled, dry-docked and the relentless rogue Loose Bruce went on a shore vacation visiting
coffee shops and restaurants while Jean stayed behind working to make everything aboard their “Charlotte Jean”
shipshape and ready for another years cruising while she awaited her social misfit husbands return.
The Charlotte Jean was a frequent visitor to St. Augustine’s anchorage. next chapter
