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Show Was Alone at Sea for 38) 'Days! I A novice Editors' Notes Earlier this year, Mrs. Sharon Sites, a dental technician, became tne nrsi woman to sail the Pacific alone from California to Hawaii. The widchilowed mother of two teen-ag- e is a resident Mrs. Sites of dren, Mar Vista, Calif. . at boating but a master of courage, this young widow became the first woman to sail by herself from California to Hawaii By SHARON SITES was 600 pression set in. JI The howling winds and huge, - .7 v jJSfc 4 " d: y gray waves that crashed across the bow of my sloop had been tearing down my resistance. I had visions of drowning and my boat becoming a derelict at sea. I thought to myself: What made me a woman want to sail alone across the ocean to Hawaii? What am I doing out here? How can I ever reach those tiny specks of islands in this vast Pacific? But the same determination that made me embark on the venture in the first place told me I could and must go on. No woman had ever sailed across the ocean by herself. If I could do it, I would have good about and about myself every perhaps member of my sex. It all began when I was strolling home after church one Sunday. I wandered down to the marina to admire the anchored sailboats and yachts. Then I noticed a sign: MA1 Adams' Sailing School." I reI alized had never been on a boat, and out of plain curiosity, I scribbled down the school's address. Barely five months later, and with only 45 sailing hours to my credit (not one of which was spent out of sight of land), I took off for Hawaii. I didn't tell my children, Sandy and Denny, of my plans till just before I left. They were both enthusiastic about the idea, as were most of my friends. But a few called me crazy. Mr. Adams himself spent weeks trying to discourage the idea, wmcn naa nrsi occurred to me about three months after I started proved-somethi- ng taking lessons. Suddenly a barnacle-covere- d log " swept down from the top of a pianf wave, itt blunt end headed directly at the small craft. . Family Weekly, December 5, 1985 from the I" Californiamiles coast when de- """ But once he realized I was determined to go through with it, he did all in his power to assure the success of my voyage. First he found a boat in which I could make ILIUSTKATION IY RAY DAllASTA |