Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month – Pat and Lynn Lortie

Feb 27, 2020

Congratulations to the Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month for February Pat and Lynn Lortie

In 2008, Pat and Lynn Lortie said goodbye to their everyday life to pursue their dream; making their way into the Great Loop and head out on a three-year sailing odyssey. “We had the dream of sailing south for many years, but the dream took hold in the late ‘90s when we realized that with some hard work and planning we could make the dream come true.”

In search of their new home, Pat and Lynn realized that they weren’t going to be able to find a boat that suited their criteria; big water and fuel tanks, lots of storage, a separate freezer compartment, roomy enough to live on, big enough to handle the ocean, but small enough for one person to handle.

So together they set to the drawing board, and Pat started designing the boat. “We settled on 38′ with 12’4″ beam and 4’topsides we bought a truckload of wood and two 45 gallon drums of resin, crossed our fingers and got started. Within 23 months we had Adamant 1 floating and two years later she was sailing! She has everything we had listed on our wish list.”

Departing from their homeport of Midland, Ontario on August 3rd, 2008, this couple set sail for the adventure of their dreams aboard Adamant 1. Taking three years to complete the Great Loop required a lot of time and effort, but nothing will compare to the accomplishment of realizing your dream.

“If you have a dream, focus on the dream. Both partners have to be on the same page for it to become a reality. Working together to build the boat, putting our lives on hold for 3 years during construction, seeing and sailing the finished product, nothing can compare to the feeling we have when we see her. The sense of accomplishment we have now that she has over 27,000 nm on her is immense. Live the dream!”

Lynn has written extensively for Canadian Yachting. Read their journey from their blog here.

Sail Canada’s Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month Award acknowledges sailing achievements by Canadians involved or associated with the sport in all its forms. Sail Canada encourages the submission of noteworthy Canadian sailing activities to communications@sailing.ca