August 31, 1953 – January 28, 2015: Ruth Clements, born in Chemainus, BC, was a founding member of Bluewater Cruising Association.
She passed away on January 28, 2015, after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was a Doner, having sailed from England to BC in the 1970s with her partner, Ted Long, aboard Salal, a 31-foot Golden Hind sloop. It had no engine or any high-tech equipment and Ted loved to tell the story about their voyage. Ruth served as BCA Secretary from 1980-1984, and in our archives is a binder of the typewritten minutes she meticulously kept. When Ted passed away in 2001, she inherited Salal and for awhile lived aboard at Granville Island, where she had a shop called Sandpipers. She was a master seamstress, and Sandpipers specialized in designing, sewing and repairing all things boat related. Ruth was our BCA burgee supplier for many years. When she sold the shop, she moved back to Vancouver Island.
She will be sadly missed by all her friends. A celebration of her life will be held in late April in Cedar, BC and Currents will carry an announcement with the date and time and other details as soon as they come available.