Judging by my long hair, this photo was probably taken somewhere between 1970 and 1972.

My mother’s brother, Jim Yonge, was Chief Purser on the Mariposa, one of the famous “White Ships” that cruised the Pacific, first as Matson ships, and later for Pacific Far East Lines.

When passing through Honolulu, we often met up with him to have “a few drinks” and hear his stories. He was a serious drinker, world-class story teller, and a great pleasure to spend time with.

They always docked in the shadow of Aloha Tower, where we would pick him up. From there, we sometimes ended up at the old Queen’s Surf, before it was torn down in 1971.

Uncle Jimi wasn’t a fan of my long hair, but he dealt with it well. And he wasn’t a fan of life on land, much preferring being at sea.

When the White Ships stopped sailing, he retired to the mountains in Portola, California, where he died at age 73 in 1994. He’s one I truly miss.

The bottom photo shows him in uniform at least a decade earlier.