The Vera Crusie

Submitted by Anne Converse from Marion Massachusetts

This is a story of Aunt Vera’s that I remember often during family gatherings.

In Mattapoisett and I will try to recreate yet I can’t remember exact date (mid 1950’s), in my mid-teens. I sailed from Harbor Oaks, my father’s house on the harbor in Marion, with John Barclay who lived on Converse Point, on an adventure to see a friend of John’s at Vineyard Haven, Walker Bingham.  My cousin Butch Cutting was visiting me during the summer then and joined us, not knowing where we were going.  We left in middle of night and had a beautiful sail thru Woods Hole. My old nurse maid was staying at the house and alerted my father the next morning that John and I were gone and the VERA also, and he called the Coast Guard. I think John had called his mother, so someone knew we had safely arrived.  I think my father had someone sail the boat back-can’t remember, but I was in serious trouble-Govie [my father Roger W. Converse] was close to having his first heart attack at this point!

I have a photo somewhere of me in the “VERA” about age 10 or so.  I used to race in the harbor. My younger sister Rosie was a better sailor, but I did win one race when the wind suddenly shifted, and I was near the finish line crossing it in first place! I cherished that only blue flag forever!!!

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