30559249 bf7c5752a6f1cc56eb802ae6ea0777bb rickrewshusband http://gravatar.com/rickrewshusband rickrewshusband http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/bf7c5752a6f1cc56eb802ae6ea0777bb http://2.gravatar.com/avatar/bf7c5752a6f1cc56eb802ae6ea0777bb thumbnail Rick Bailey Rick Bailey Rick Bailey Since childhood I've been a sailing and boating enthusiast. I grew up in Florida and had the great blessing to live on lake-front property. It seems as though a great deal of my growing-up years were spent on or in the water. I swam, dove, skied, sailed, fished, skim-boarded, and played ten months a year. The other two months were a little too cool for being in the water, but I often fished then. My dad and I went on fishing trips to Key West, Marathon, Homosassa, East Lake, St. Johns River, Haulover Canal, Titusville, Mosquito Lagoon - and of course, on our own lake at home. When near the Gulf or Intracoastal Waterway, I saw cruising sailboats and they inflamed my imagination. When I wasn't on or in the water, I was reading adventure books set on the water. Sailing and water sports were in my waking dreams and contributed to poor school work in grade school - too busy day-dreaming. My adult life arrived. Years of study, work, family and responsibility flowed by. Almost on a whim, I bought an 18 foot day sailor - and I was hooked. We've had several boats since then - including a ski boat when my boys were more interested in speed than going slowly. We now have a Watkins 27 coastal cruiser (though she's pretty hefty for a coastal boat) that we've owned since 2003. We sailed her in Jacksonville, FL, then trucked her up to Maryland when I got stationed in Washington DC. We love sailing the Chesapeake, and we love time spent on the boat. I happen to like all the maintenance aspects of boat ownership as well, so owning an old boat fits me: lots to repair and maintain! Now retired from the Navy, I have a lot more time to tinker with the boat and sail the Bay. rick@ruthbaileyart.com true http://ruthbaileyart.com/ http://ruthbaileyart.wordpress.com http://middlebaysailing.wordpress.com