| TRAVELS OF DURSMIRG VOLUME IV THE ROGUES OF ST. AUGUSTINE AND OTHER SOCIAL MISFITS Chapter 59 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
previous chapter 58
VALERIE SIDDALL;
Born in British India, Valerie spent her younger years with her father who was from Kent, England and a career
colonel in the British Military stationed in India.
He instilled in young Valerie an iron will and total self reliance coupled with unyielding courage. Valerie was raised
an academic type and married a university professor named David Siddall.
We met this very unassuming very British lady Valerie down in the Florida Keys in the mid 70s. Those were the days
of back to back Arab oil embargos when the lucky sail- boaters had the place entirely to themselves and could set
their sails in that quiet moment of history.
Alone, Valerie was single handedly sailing her twin bilge keeled 35 foot British to the bone yacht. Valerie was the
lady captain of her proper British yacht kept in “Bristol” condition.
Iron willed Captain Valerie did actually have a deck hand and her first mate was her little dog that went everywhere
she went.
This remarkable self-reliant unpretentious person outwardly concealed her almost super human sailing abilities.
Valerie was in her mid-40s, agile, alert, of medium build, fair skinned but weathered, with penetrating brown eyes
and naturally wavy light brown hair.
She was a quiet, prim and proper, meek mannered person that on first meeting gave the impression of docile
daintiness that made her appear as somewhat of a dependant type.
Then the radiant inner Valerie with her natural ease smoothly bubbled to the surface revealing this super woman.
Courageously and self-assuredly she would take charge of her vessel with the ease and skill of a very salty and
seasoned sailor.
Her actions gave the appearance of effortless ease but in the eye of anyone who has ever sailed without a motor or
electric windless can testify this takes strength of body, instinctive ability, training and expertise to give this self-
assuredness that make nautical skills appear trivial.
Valerie’s nautical talents were deeply engrained in her and practiced to the point that her every move flowed
smoothly like a coordinated harmonizing orchestra.
Few men ever achieve this level of polished nautical aptitude and I have never seen a woman that possessed it in
as unassuming a way as Valerie so gracefully could.
Valerie was so self-reliant she never ever remotely entertained the notion of asking for assistance of any kind but
had a watchful eye out for others in the event she could render assistance to them.
Over the years as Valerie’s husband Dave had to attend to his academic pursuits free spirited Valerie would set sail
for some distant ports by herself, (of course her little dog tagged along).
When her husband Dave was free he would fly off and they would rendezvous.
Jane and I visited them at their very isolated out in the woods farm house in New Hampshire while Dave was still
teaching at the university. After Dave’s retirement they packed up and headed off back to the British Isles.
They now live on a small remote island in northern Scotland only accessible by private boat. It is a good life for them.
Valerie without a doubt was a social misfit in almost every way and she over the years was a regular visitor to the
waters of St. Augustine where she would drop the hook, lower her dinghy and visit her many friends always
accompanied by her little first mate…her dog.
Little old St. Augustine attracted this caliber of sailor who could seamlessly fit in with the Old City’s misfits.
Valerie Siddall’s log book entry; “Ed’s friends met us and helped us anchor and then we all went to Ed’s boat for a
drink. Then we went over to his friends boat which was simply lovely inside, all wooden and cozy with a stove and
sofas and oil lamps- lovely and we had a lovely dinner, of oysters, different kinds of fish and cactus wine made with
prickly pears, the evening was quite enchanting.”
(The Ed in the log book entry was Ed Weber from the boat Caribbean Sunrise; we have maintained a friendship with
Ed over all these years and made a number of visits to his 200 acre estate up in the New Hampshire hills at Candia
that boasts its own international airport.)
next chapter
Born in British India, Valerie spent her younger years with her father who was from Kent, England and a career
colonel in the British Military stationed in India.
He instilled in young Valerie an iron will and total self reliance coupled with unyielding courage. Valerie was raised
an academic type and married a university professor named David Siddall.
We met this very unassuming very British lady Valerie down in the Florida Keys in the mid 70s. Those were the days
of back to back Arab oil embargos when the lucky sail- boaters had the place entirely to themselves and could set
their sails in that quiet moment of history.
Alone, Valerie was single handedly sailing her twin bilge keeled 35 foot British to the bone yacht. Valerie was the
lady captain of her proper British yacht kept in “Bristol” condition.
Iron willed Captain Valerie did actually have a deck hand and her first mate was her little dog that went everywhere
she went.
This remarkable self-reliant unpretentious person outwardly concealed her almost super human sailing abilities.
Valerie was in her mid-40s, agile, alert, of medium build, fair skinned but weathered, with penetrating brown eyes
and naturally wavy light brown hair.
She was a quiet, prim and proper, meek mannered person that on first meeting gave the impression of docile
daintiness that made her appear as somewhat of a dependant type.
Then the radiant inner Valerie with her natural ease smoothly bubbled to the surface revealing this super woman.
Courageously and self-assuredly she would take charge of her vessel with the ease and skill of a very salty and
seasoned sailor.
Her actions gave the appearance of effortless ease but in the eye of anyone who has ever sailed without a motor or
electric windless can testify this takes strength of body, instinctive ability, training and expertise to give this self-
assuredness that make nautical skills appear trivial.
Valerie’s nautical talents were deeply engrained in her and practiced to the point that her every move flowed
smoothly like a coordinated harmonizing orchestra.
Few men ever achieve this level of polished nautical aptitude and I have never seen a woman that possessed it in
as unassuming a way as Valerie so gracefully could.
Valerie was so self-reliant she never ever remotely entertained the notion of asking for assistance of any kind but
had a watchful eye out for others in the event she could render assistance to them.
Over the years as Valerie’s husband Dave had to attend to his academic pursuits free spirited Valerie would set sail
for some distant ports by herself, (of course her little dog tagged along).
When her husband Dave was free he would fly off and they would rendezvous.
Jane and I visited them at their very isolated out in the woods farm house in New Hampshire while Dave was still
teaching at the university. After Dave’s retirement they packed up and headed off back to the British Isles.
They now live on a small remote island in northern Scotland only accessible by private boat. It is a good life for them.
Valerie without a doubt was a social misfit in almost every way and she over the years was a regular visitor to the
waters of St. Augustine where she would drop the hook, lower her dinghy and visit her many friends always
accompanied by her little first mate…her dog.
Little old St. Augustine attracted this caliber of sailor who could seamlessly fit in with the Old City’s misfits.
Valerie Siddall’s log book entry; “Ed’s friends met us and helped us anchor and then we all went to Ed’s boat for a
drink. Then we went over to his friends boat which was simply lovely inside, all wooden and cozy with a stove and
sofas and oil lamps- lovely and we had a lovely dinner, of oysters, different kinds of fish and cactus wine made with
prickly pears, the evening was quite enchanting.”
(The Ed in the log book entry was Ed Weber from the boat Caribbean Sunrise; we have maintained a friendship with
Ed over all these years and made a number of visits to his 200 acre estate up in the New Hampshire hills at Candia
that boasts its own international airport.)
next chapter