GVHA honours yachtswoman Jeanne Socrates with naming of public dock facility
The organization’s commercial yellow line crescent-shaped dock is inaugurated as “Jeanne Socrates Dock”
Nov. 21, 2019, Victoria, BC, Canada – In honour of the achievements of yachtswoman Jeanne Socrates the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority is re-naming the crescent commercial yellow line dock at the Inner Harbour lower causeway to the, “Jeanne Socrates Dock.”
The Jeanne Socrates Dock welcomes thousands of visitors and locals annually. It is home to the Victoria Harbour Ferry stop in the Inner Harbour and serves as the pick up and drop off location for whale watching, fishing charters, and other commercial operators that help animate the working harbour.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, after spending 340 days at sea, Socrates sailed into Victoria’s Inner Harbour accompanied by a flotilla of boats and hundreds of people cheering ashore.
Socrates, on S/V Nereida, became the oldest person to sail non-stop around the world alone and unassisted. She surpassed her previous title of becoming the first women to sail around the world from North America alone and unassisted in 2013.
She attempted the voyage several times in the past, but due to an unfortunate accident and mechanical issues she had to postpone those endeavours.
Socrates started sailing after she retired. She and her husband purchased S/V Nereida in July 1997 and sailed her back to England via Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands. From there, they travelled across Europe, the Caribbean, and the USA. After her husband died in 2003, Socrates continued to sail alone, but admitted it was a, “daunting task, getting to know the various systems on board Nereida,” and quickly learned how to fix and solve problems when needed.