John Russell, 72

Huntington, N.Y.

Capt. John Russell died March 28. Shipmate Capt Ron Schaper wrote on Scuttlebutt: “Big John, The Gentle Giant, JR: Since the early 1970s, John and I have sailed thousands of offshore miles together. On one memorable Thanksgiving, about 600 miles offshore, we used wooden sail battens, canvas, flattened coke cans, and underwater epoxy to stem the gushing flow of seawater through the seams between the planks of Golden Eagle, a classic Alden wooden ketch.

“Undeterred, John sailed with me for years in numerous trips between the U.S. and the West Indies. Later, John sailed with Eric Ritter in his various sized Tempests, racing and working hard. John joined the Dolan crew, skippering their Swan 57 Bravo over thousands of miles, both racing and cruising. Antigua Race Week was a highlight of each year. Each fall, John sailed Bravo and, later, Encore, south from Oyster Bay, N.Y., to the West Indies; each spring, he made the return trip. John logged more miles on “I-75” than any sailor I know.

“John was meticulous in everything he did; his techniques in varnishing yielded beautiful brightwork. With a background in a machine shop, he was great at repairing and maintaining the multiple systems on yachts. His soft-spoken competent manner made him a perfect shipmate . . . .”