Pam Wall, a dedicated bluewater sailor and contributor to Cruising World who was known for keeping her boat, Kandarik, in showroom condition, died August 2, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She was 80.
Pam was barely 5 feet tall, but she became a towering figure in the cruising community. She sailed from a young age on Lake Michigan aboard her family’s various boats, with her father—an avid sailor—introducing her to open-water cruising.
When she met the Australian sailor Andy Wall, he had journeyed solo across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, then to Tahiti and South America, going on to become the first Australian to round Cape Horn in the mid-1960s. The couple honeymooned aboard his 30-foot sloop, Carronade, and with him, Pam completed her first ocean passage, from Fort Lauderdale to England. She later described it as “the happiest time of my life.”
After three years exploring Europe, the couple returned to the United States and bought the plans for the Freya 39, which won the Sydney-Hobart Race three years straight in the 1960s. They laid up their own hull and completed their boat themselves, with Pam working at Mack-Shaw Sailmakers. Kandarik was constructed to withstand the rigors of long-distance voyaging, and to provide a comfortable, safe home for their family.
In 1984, they began a global circumnavigation with their children, Samantha and Jamie. For the next six and a half years, the Walls sailed and immersed themselves in local cultures. They engaged with all types of people, learned new languages, and embraced the customs and traditions of the places they visited.
Upon returning to Florida, Pam joined West Marine’s flagship store in Fort Lauderdale as an outfitting consultant. Her guidance helped hundreds of cruisers prepare for their own adventures. She also became prominent on the boat show lecture circuit, where she shared her experiences and insights, and offered practical tips and advice about long-distance voyaging.
Pam was particularly dedicated to mentoring women in sailing, and had a decade-long involvement in the Women on the Water Week at the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands.
She is survived by her son, Jamie, and granddaughter, Andinah Jean Power. Andy’s and Samantha’s deaths preceded hers.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
