Eight Bells: Scott Gilbert

Scott Gilbert

Seattle yachtsman Scott Gilbert passed away unexpectedly on November 30, 2020. With a lifetime of seventy-years on the water, Scott was an accomplished Soling and big boat sailor in the Pacific Northwest.

A University of Washington alum, Scott worked at Marco Shipbuilding before retiring from Boeing where he had worked for 35 + years.

In his early years he cruised with his parents and sisters, and became a veteran navigator of several TransPacs, multiple Van Isle 360s, Cork and Cowes Regattas, and countless Swiftsures.

Jim Marta recalled sailing the 1980 Victoria Maui Race with Scott on the S&S 50 Scaramouche. “Scott was our navigator and had to use the sextant as the newfangled stuff was too expensive and not yet proven. He would get his noon fix everyday (he was in his element) but we crew had some uncertainty we’d ever see land again. However, in our approach to the finish, our direction was right where Scott said it was. I never doubted Scott again.”

When not on the water, Scott loved to work on old cars and four years ago completed a trip around the US in his MG-TD in which he and his wife Nancy visited every state in the contiguous US. He was an avid skier and volunteered his time to many organizations, among them the Boy Scouts, and was helping at their Christmas tree lot when he passed away.

Known as a gentle soul with a wry sense of humor, Scott will be dearly missed by his family and his mates. He is survived by his wife Nancy and son Logan.