Capt. Tim Morgenroth

It wasn’t until I began my career at Boeing that I actually took up the sport of sailing, sometime in the early 70’s. The first exposure was more about the boat itself than what it could do. A co-worker was in the process of finishing out a 37-foot African Star after taking delivery of the hull and deck (no interior, no rig, etc.). I was fascinated with the construction of the boat, and became hooked as I helped finish her out.

The other 'Boeing' exposure came by way of a German engineer named Werner Kittler, who was born in Berlin in 1922 and didn’t leave until 1949. Can you imagine the stories he had to tell? Anyway, he had a 14’ C-Lark and was trying to race with the local fleet on Lake Washington. I consented to go along as crew, mostly because I was fascinated with his stories, but also because I was given the responsibility for jib and spinnaker trim, and learned how exciting it could be to race.

Early in the Carter administration, I found myself with a lot of idle time on my hands when the project to which I was assigned (B-1) was cancelled. With that I decided I was going to make it my goal to learn enough about sailing to be able to handle a boat without someone else telling me how (now I get to tell them). So, I bought a book on the subject, studied intently, and rented a Lido 14 from Kelly’s landing in Portage Bay as often as I could to practice my skills. Twenty years later I bought that same Lido by accident, but that’s another story.

My first big sailing adventure in August of 1977 was aboard a rented San Juan 24 out on the sound for a 3-day weekend of cruising. Shortly after that, I purchased my first sailboat, a Catalina 22 which I bought within a month of the birth of my first son (John).

In 1978 I purchased a real (cruising) dreamboat, the BaBa 30 'Theresa B' (named after my late wife Terri, and later renamed Airloom). In the seven years I owned the boat, I only raced her about ten times, and only in the last year. Most of the time the boat was used for cruising, and parties, and (oh yeah) Duck Dodge committee duty. In 1979, I began my 6-year stint as race committee chairman for the Duck Dodge (also another story), but it was this exposure to racing that convinced me that I wanted more from a boat than the original Airloom would give.

After pondering my options for some time, and traveling to Taiwan to visit the yard where the Babas were built (Ta-Shing), I decided to purchase the 40’ version. One day while on "official" Duck Dodge business, I had occasion to discuss my plans with the designer of the boat, Bob Perry. He told me to "get a taller rig". It took about ten seconds for me to say yes. This, I believe, was the moment that I committed myself to the sport of yacht racing, since the decision, along with the other attendant decisions about how the boat would be modified from her original design, would wind up costing an extra $25K or so.

Since then I have had many fine sailing experiences, both of the cruising and racing type. Some of the more notable include six Swiftsures, an Oregon offshore, and the ‘92 Pacific Cup (San Fransisco to Kaneohe), not to mention too many club races and around-the-sound day races to mention. Also of note were the many vacations spent in BC waters, both inside and on the Vancouver Is. Coast. And I should also mention the many memorable parties (well over 100) held aboard the Airloom (both of them) over the years. For my wife Cherie and I, it is very gratifying to know there are so many people out there with fond memories of magical nights sailing aboard Airloom on Puget Sound.

We're also proud that for 24 years now, 'Airloom' has been out there on the race course holding her own against the competition. As time goes by, boat and crew just keep getting better and better.