Blog

My first boat was a 27′ Sea Ray Sundancer that my wife and I purchased when our girls were 2 and 4.  We used it often on the ICW and Gulf near Clearwater FL for about 2 years.  Then my brother and I purchased a 33′ Sea Ray Sundancer together and boated together with his 2 girls.  We had the boat for about 10 years together using it often and taking trips to explore other cities and marinas up and down the Gulf coast. 

My dad purchased his first boat when I was 12 years old.  We would travel to Wisconsin and Indiana for vacations and weekend trips water skiing and fishing.  When I turned 16, I spent a lot more time on Lake Michigan on my Aunt and Uncles 55′ Chris Craft.  That same year over the summer they had the boat in Ft. Lauderdale FL and I accompanied them on a 2 week trip from there to New Jersey.  I learned how to plot courses, learn about the ICW as we traveled from port to port, and how to be a first mate.

Over the years I would help prep it in the spring and fall traveling the Illinois river to and from the lakefront across from Soldiers field.  We would watch fireworks on the 4th of July, Air shows and just have good times on the lake.  In my teens I worked on a 43′ Egg Harbor as a mate fishing on Lake Michigan and working on a similar Chris Craft as a first mate doing party charters on the lake.  In my early 20’s I received my Captain’s license for the first time.  But eventually took a full-time job at UPS.

Since I retired in the last few years I went back and received my Captain’s license again and started working as a mate on a 87′ Cheoy Lee Alpha.  I enjoy being a mate while gaining the time and experience to be able to Captain.