I first "met" Dave when I joined the West Coast Paddlers forum, an online venue for sea kayakers in Western Canada and the US Pacific NW. I had become enamored of sea kayaking while visiting my mom in Vancouver, and was interested in learning more and getting my own boat. Many at the forum welcomed me, but Dave took me under his wing and mentored me for 6 years. He was always among the first to respond when I had a question, encouraged me to attend sea kayaking classes and symposia, and soon, we were corresponding privately as well. In 2016, Dave and Becky invited me to come to Astoria on my way to visit my mom in Vancouver. They hosted me in their home, showed me around town, and then Dave and I, along with some of their friends, took a two-night kayak camping trip to Long Island in Willapa Bay. Having heard the Tales of Tarpman many times on the forum (and trying to replicate his tarp success on my own camping trips), I was finally able to help Tarpman put up a tarp! We had a wonderful time and it was amazing to meet my beloved mentor in person at last. The pictures here are from that trip. They were already posted on others' tales, but I took them myself, so I'm posting them again! :-) Dave was many wonderful things, but for me he will always be the guy who helped me get started in our great sport. I very much doubt that, without his encouragement, I would have been able to make the progress I have, given that sea kayaks are thin on the water in land-locked TN. He taught me navigating and course charting, but more than that, he gave me the confidence to keep on paddling and to learn as much as I could. Today, I have 4 Greenland rolls, have attended many symposia, and have earned my 3 Star rating from British Canoeing. I don’t think any of this would have been possible without Dave. I like to think of Dave, like an old Inuit, getting into his kayak at the end and just paddling out to the sunset. I will always love you, Dave, and I will always miss you. Paddle in peace.