Tomorrow afternoon in Port Townsend, Washington, there will be a memorial service to honor the life of Ted Pike. He passed away on Monday August 24, 2015, unexpectedly after a short illness. He was 65. He touched many lives around the country–and around the world–and will be missed by all who knew him.  He enabled countless boatbuilders, DIY and professional alike, to follow their dreams to build and restore as well as to sail.

In our case, he helped us to bring Schooner Mahdee back to her former glory  by providing us with the important–and so hard to find–top quality wood for her planking, floors, frames, and deckbeams. During the project, he called to chat and check on things and he visited us in San Diego to check on the progress of our rebuild and gave us cheerful and enthusiastic praise–as well as advice–as we progressed with the large project.  Only towards the end of the rebuild as she was going back together did Ted exclaim–I KNOW this boat, it’s Privateer, and then told us a number of stories about Robert Goss and the days Privateer spent (in the 1970’s) in Port Townsend.  Ted thus became an important part of our gathering information about Mahdee’s history, too.  We’ve sent countless folks with an old boat in need of good lumber over to Edensaw Woods: knowing that Ted would help them along the way with just the right thing.

Anna Nasset wrote in Three Sheets Northwest Fair Winds To Our Captain Ted Pike

There are some lives that are impossible to sum up in words, and Ted’s is one of them. His reach was as vast as his love and zest for life. There is a giant “Ted” shaped hole in the hearts of thousands. I will try to honor our dear friend — the great ancient mariner, mentor, father, husband, friend and best hugger in the world — in all his glory.

read the full story here including details on the memorial service

We will be forever thankful that Ted Pike came into our lives, with a pile of wood, and will remember his boatbuilding and sailing stories.  He will be missed.