Dick and
Eileen sailed a Cal 34 in the Great Lakes for nine years while
they prepared for their future as full time liveaboards. Taking
classes, learning new skills and planning for retirement were a
conscious part of the preparation. Summer vacations were spent
sailing the North Channel and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron,
dreaming of the day they could retire to full time cruising.
They retired in 1996 from Ford Motor Company where Dick was an
engineering supervisor and Eileen was a systems analyst. They
sold their home in Plymouth, Michigan and immediately moved
aboard Triumph in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Eager to gain off
shore experience, their first year was a shake down cruise,
sailing from the Bahamas to the Chesapeake Bay, making mistakes,
learning, repairing and adding new systems as they traveled.
During the next four years they ventured farther off shore,
cruising from Maine to Central America, while making new friends
and visiting 27 countries throughout the Caribbean.
In 2002 they completed their circumnavigation of the Caribbean
and bought a condo in Florida to serve as a home base while
preparing Triumph for a transatlantic passage.
Both Dick and Eileen hold Extra Class Amateur Radio Licenses and
are Volunteer Examiners. They have organized exams in Trinidad
and Venezuela. Radio is a large part of their cruising life
style and provides weather information along with voice and
E-mail contact with their four children and friends.
Swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving are also favorite
activities, especially around coral reefs, but come in handy for
hull cleaning and underwater repairs. Other skills that Dick and
Eileen have found to be handy are sewing, Spanish, mechanical
and electrical repairs, and general boat maintenance. Being
resourceful and having good sense of humor saved the day many
times while cruising in third world countries.
