TRIMMING THE SAILS

Don and Jeanne Pickers, South African farmers, had no sailing experience when Don built a 40 ft catamaran for their daughter Kathi’s scuba diving business. Tragically, Kathi died as the yacht was nearing completion. Facing political turmoil and violence in South Africa, they named the yacht Katrine in her memory and used it to escape. The worst storm in 25 years off the African coast was their baptism of fire and 9/11 changed their route from the Mediterranean to sailing east to Southeast Asia. They were caught in the tsunami in Thailand and were involved in an island community’s recovery. While learning to sail across the oceans and through the adventures they experienced, Jeanne writes letters to her daughter. It’s a way she copes with her grief and talking to her as she did when she was alive, helps her to find meaning in her new way of life.