A Love Story Set Sail: How a Librarian and a Yacht Captain Defied the Odds
In the summer of 1968, Beverly Carriveau, a 23-year-old Canadian librarian, embarked on a vacation to Mazatlán, Mexico, unaware that a single glance would change her life forever. It all began with a thunderbolt moment—one that defied logic, tradition, and even her own expectations.
Love at First Sight
Stepping into her hotel’s gift shop, Beverly found herself admiring a pair of earrings when something, or rather someone, caught her eye. Outside, stepping out of a taxi, stood a tall, handsome man. Their eyes locked.
“We just stared at each other,” Beverly recalls. “Girls didn’t stare at men back then, but I couldn’t look away. It was a thunderbolt.”
Feeling flustered, she hurried away to meet her friend, but the moment lingered in her mind. Over dinner, she confided in her companion about the strange, electric connection. Then, the unexpected happened—a waiter approached with a bottle of white wine, a gift from an unknown admirer.
A Mysterious Admirer Revealed
Although wary of accepting drinks from strangers, Beverly and her friend reluctantly accepted. But who sent it? The bar was packed, and she wasn’t sure. Then, taking a chance, Beverly approached the crowd and locked eyes once more—with the man from the taxi.
He lifted his drink in acknowledgment, this time with a smile. Blushing, she invited him to join their table. He introduced himself: Bob Parsons, a 30-year-old yacht captain from the United States.
Throughout dinner, Beverly felt the same undeniable pull. Bob was charming but not aggressive, confident but reserved. When he suggested they visit a local beachfront bar, Beverly hesitated, but her friend’s enthusiasm convinced her.
“I wasn’t looking for anything,” she admits. “I had a boyfriend back home. But every time I looked at Bob, I felt something I’d never felt before.”
For the rest of her vacation, Beverly and Bob spent time together—never alone, always accompanied by her friend. But when the trip ended, she gave him her address and phone number before heading back to Vancouver, unsure of what would happen next.
A Life-Changing Decision
Beverly returned home, her thoughts consumed by Bob. Rushing to check her mail, she found no letters but a note from her roommate that read: Who the hell is Captain Parsons on the Sugar Shack?
She laughed out loud—he had called.
That same day, her long-term boyfriend, Doug, came over. Before he could even take off his jacket, Beverly blurted out, “Doug, I’ve met somebody.”
Doug was stunned but surprisingly understanding. “That’s crazy,” he said. “You better go figure this out.”
A Whirlwind Reunion
Bob and Beverly began exchanging letters, but mail between Canada and Mexico was painfully slow. Then, in late July, a phone call changed everything. The wife of Bob’s employer invited Beverly to join them in San Diego, where they were picking up a new yacht.
Without hesitation, Beverly agreed. “I knew it was crazy—I’d only known him a week, never been alone with him. But I had to see him.”
That weekend in San Diego sealed their fate. They talked, laughed, and simply enjoyed each other’s company. When Beverly returned to Vancouver, she didn’t hesitate. She resigned from her job, told her friends and family, and packed her bags for Mexico.
“I knew people would think I was foolish,” she says. “But if I didn’t go, I’d wonder for the rest of my life.”
An Ocean Proposal
Reuniting in Mazatlán, Beverly joined Bob aboard his yacht, where he managed four boats. Then, one day, covered in grease from the engine room, Bob wiped his hands and simply said, “I would like to get married.”
Stunned, Beverly thought of Doug, of her family, of everything she was leaving behind. But Bob’s response was simple and direct: “If you were concerned about Doug, you’d be in Canada, not here.”
In disbelief, Beverly suggested they call her parents. Using a radio that broadcast their conversation to the entire ocean, Beverly’s mother answered the call. When she heard the news, she simply said, “Well, if you’re getting married, you’re coming up here and getting married in the church.”
A Race to the Altar
With just three weeks to plan, Beverly’s mother arranged a wedding in Vancouver, complete with a live orchestra and a dinner for 90 guests. Meanwhile, in Mexico, Beverly sewed her own wedding dress, meticulously hand-seeding pearls onto the veil.
“I was excited. I was scared,” she recalls. “But I thought—if I followed this man from Canada to Mexico, I’d follow him anywhere.”
By September, just three months after their first meeting, Beverly and Bob were married. Their love story, sparked by a single glance, became a lifelong adventure—one that defied all expectations and proved that sometimes, love really does strike like lightning.
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