Much like the women of the “Capi” crew, and many others within the Northwest boating community, Fawn Spady has long been enamored with M. Wylie Blanchet’s The Curve in Time. The landscapes, inlets, and other dreamy destinations described in the memoir have not only directed her own boating adventures with husband Jim over their past dozen years of cruising but have now also inspired the brand-new, fictionalized “Curve of Time” podcast written with kids in mind. “In my first life, I thought I’d be involved in movies because I’ve always loved storytelling,” says Spady, who worked in marketing and public relations for the Spady family’s iconic Dick’s Drive-In burger chain for years. “I kicked around the idea of creating a fresh, modern scripted take on the book for about 10 years, with lots of stops and starts, but had a realization that perhaps a podcast series was the right vehicle after listening to a historically inspired one about Ben Franklin with our grandkids. They were enthralled; I was inspired.”
Spady worked with a local team of creatives, including well-known Seattle composers Andrew Joslyn and Jonathan Warman, to create the immersive, sweeping adventure tale of a family who follow the author’s voyage through the Salish Sea, all set to beautiful classical music and filled with rich characters. And while Curve of Time fans will recognize many of the spots the fictitious Wells family visits, from Princess Louisa Inlet to the Sunshine Coast, many of the moments channel Spady’s real-life boating escapades—like the time the couple had to cut away an anchor, which happens to the Wells family within the Bute Inlet. “Cruising in the Salish is some of the best anywhere in the world, and we have been lucky to see a lot of it, so the story really is one part travel log and another part adventure tale,” she says. “And I think if we’re successful, as we go along it will be a wonderful way to introduce youth to our waterways, and even educate them on some maritime history through storytelling.” Curl up on the settee, gather up your VIP crew, and listen in: As of press time, the first four episodes are available for listening on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at curveoftimepodcast.com; you can also tune into the Spady family’s own adventures at sea at trueloveadventures.com.
