Larry started his sailing career at age 17 in North Vancouver where he restored an El Toro dinghy and became a member of the West Vancouver Yacht Club. He quickly became proficient in racing and purchased then restored a 28-foot Tumlaren sloop, Annalisa. His skills lead to him being asked to instruct others in the art of racing and also to lead the junior sailing program. In 1964 he sold Annalisa and went to California in search of an affordable cruising boat. He instead signed as first mate on the 85-foot schooner, Double Eagle and sailed to Hawaii on a movie making charter. On his return he obtained a job skippering a 54-foot charter ketch and at the same time began building his first cruising boat, Seraffyn. It was only 5 months into this project that he met Lin Zatkin who soon joined him to finish building what became their first cruising boat. Together they eventually sailed more than 200,000 miles including both an east about and west about circumnavigation. To earn their way they delivered boats, restored boats and worked as riggers. Eventually Lin's writing skills began covering their cruising costs.