CHANGES surveyors. One day a surveyor asked if I would help tow in a boat that had been seized by the U.S. Marshal. "Sure," I said. When I went out to get her, she was a Gallant 53. "Thank you, Lord," I said. 38: That sure was easy. Ron: Actually, it wasn't. (Laughter.) It took several years for the court case to play out, so she didn't come up for auction until then. And when she did, an airline pilot who didn't know what he was doing bid way too much money for her, beating out my reasonable offer. A year or two later, she almost sank out in the harbor from neglect. I pumped the boat out and then called the owner's wife. "My husband's off flying somewhere," she said. "You should have let the damn thing sink." A short time later I became the owner. 38: So you sail 12 months a year here in the Caribbean? Ron: Yes. But we move all around. We had a wonderful summer last year in Grenada. We did Bocas del Toro, Panama the year before. There is so much to see. During the season we do a few day charters to help cover expenses and so we can write them off. 38: Has your wife been with you during this whole adventure? Ron: My wife's name is Carol King — not the singer — and no, she joined me later. She's from the Manhattan Beach Redondo area of Southern California. We later discovered that we'd cruised Baja at the same time. We never met, but knew many of the same people. Anyway, she was the notary public for the bill of sale of Alant of Court in St. Thomas 19 years ago. "You're buying a nice boat," she said. We've been together ever since. But I had known her for 11 years before that. 38: So was it worth leaving the fastpaced life of the 'real world' on the West Coast in order to do what you've been
COURTESY R.C. KEEFE
The great Alden 53 cutter 'Yo Ho Ho' heads out the Gate in the 1940 Farallones Race, on the way to winning that year's Season Championship.
doing and live a longer life? Ron: Oh yes! Why die of a heart attack when you're young? I'm 68 now, and don't feel bad at all. 38: What are your favorite places in the Caribbean, or is that a silly question? Ron: There are so many great places. We still love St. Barth, but it's almost gotten too Gucci for us. We had a great time in Grenada. And the British Virgins are always beautiful. The one thing that bugs me about the British Virgins is that they've put in so many moorings that it's becoming harder and harder to find a place to anchor. If you're semi-retired and trying to stick to a budget as Carol and I are, we don't think it's fair to have to pay $30/night for a mooring. — latitude/rs 02/15/13 Celebration — Taswell 58 Cherie Sogsti and Greg Retkowski Crewing For 'C&C' (San Jose) Falling in love with a sailor has consequences. My husband Greg and I met in 2001 at a Ha-Ha Crew Party in Alameda. Since then, we've sailed over 10,000 miles together on our own Morgan 41 and while crewing for friends on their yachts. Last month, we joined fellow sailing fanatics Charlie and Cathy Simon, whom we met sailing in Puerto Vallarta. Our destination was the warm winds and clear waters of the Bahamas. Charlie and Cathy — whom we affectionately call 'C&C' — recently purchased a Taswell 58 and signed up for the World ARC, the 15-month Aroundthe-World Rally, which begins in the Caribbean in January of next year. Greg and I met up with them in Ft. Lauderdale for a shakedown cruise of their new boat. Our two-week sail included unexpected gusts to 50 knots, swimming with pigs, diving on plane wrecks, chasing lobster, standing knee deep in a school of big sharks, and a curious octopus. Most people don't think you can take a boat with a 7-ft draft to the Bahamas, but we had an incredible time exploring the Exumas. And who knew there would be pigs in paradise? The four resident pigs on Big Major Cay eagerly greet cruisers who dinghy up to the beach, because they know they're going to be fed. They
were so darned cute that I couldn't resist jumping in with them when I went snorkeling. For $6 — the cost of a loaf of bread at the local 'grocery' — you get the least expensive great entertainment in the Bahamas. When we were done swimming with the pigs, we headed over to Staniel Cay, where dozens of sharks swim in the clear waters near the yacht club. Although nurse sharks can grow to 14 ft and over 700 pounds, they rarely bother humans. So it was a perfect opportunity to squelch my fear of sharks. You never know what to expect when you're cruising, from swimming pigs, to plane wrecks in shallow water, to harmless sharks — which is one of the reasons we like it so much. — cherie 03/15/13 Pacific Star — Island Packet 35 Julia and Horst Shovein Our Atlantic Crossing (Paradise)