HONOLULU---Hawaii says "aloha" to one of her finest sailors, Capt. Robert T. Leary U.S.C.G. Ret., who passed away July 29 at the age of 83.

Transpac veteran Bob Leary (center) enjoyed being at the Transpac 2003 awards dinner July 18, 11 days before his death at 83. With him are Transpac communications officer Grant Baldwin, daughter Lani (right) and friend Eileen Philiips.

Leary, a resident of Kaneohe, Oahu, was No. 13 in seniority on the membership list of the Transpacific Yacht club. He sailed as mate with Irving Johnson around the world in 1939 on Yankee and crewed in nine Transpac races. He was weatherman on the winning boat Staghound in 1953 and '55 and with a second place in 1951. He also was aboard the schooner Flying Cloud in the famous rudderless finish with everything flying in 1949.

He attended the awards dinner for Transpac 2003 11 days before his death.

Leary did his wartime service mostly in Alaska commanding LST operations. After the war he twice sailed his CSY cutter Kanaloa throughout the Pacific. On another cruise in 1985 he sailed from Hawaii to Sitka, Alaska, throughout Alaska's inland waters and down the coast to Mexico and back to Hawaii.

During all of these cruises he invited many friends to join as crew during various parts of the cruise, passing on his great knowledge of the sea.

(The above memoriam by Bud Thompson originally appeared in the Scuttlebutt sailing newsletter.)