The Life and Times
of a Woman and
Her Camera
A few months back I was contacted by my good friend Mr.
Robert Johnson about helping out a new tenant at one of
his four boat slips on Damfi will Street in Boca Grande. I
told Mr. Johnson that I’d be glad to help and looked forward
to meeting his new tenant.
When I fi rst met the tenant, Susan Wood, I saw this tiny little
spitfi re of a lady who immediately impressed me. This whole
meeting was centered on me helping Ms. Susan sail her small
sailboat, a good little Rhodes 19’ with a centerboard.
The task was to get her boat ready to sail, so my friend,
Alexandra Benard, and I made a plan. With Susan, and with the
help of a few others, we were able to get the boat ready to motor
down to the slip. I could tell Susan wanted to go along on the ride
from the boat ramp at the Innlet on the Waterfront to the slip on
Damfi will Street. So off we went.
The mast was down and we traveled under power toward
the slip, with the golf course to the west and a big blue sky
in any direction we looked. While we motored her sailboat
down the eastern shoreline of Gasparilla Island, Ms. Susan
seemed really happy to be out on the water. I fi gured we had
better get that mast up as soon as possible, so after we got the
boat to the slip, plans were made to come back the following
day and rig the boat.
I’m a chef by trade, but can build a fence as well as rig a sailboat. I am
glad I learned these trades in life and can apply them during our
“new normal,” thanks to COVID-19.
Whenever Susan wants to sail she lets me know, and
Alexandra and I get the boat ready. Shortly thereafter, Susan
will pull up on her golf cart, we help her get comfortable on
the boat, and off we go. She usually wants to sail very early in
the morning, and we have been at the boat before daylight
so we could get a sail in before it got too hot. Sometimes we
sail in the evenings, trying to avoid the heat. I personally don’t
mind the heat but, as I am getting older, I fi nd myself
reconsidering that thought.
By Tim Spain
Photos provided
Peter Fonda
Jane Fonda,1971
Diane
Von Furstenberg
September/October • 2020 • GASPARILLA MAGAZINE 49