The Oscar Speech

Sitting here off the south coast of Barbuda I feel like we’re approaching the end of the beginning of this amazing trip. The stresses are subsiding. The thoughts of “why the hell did we do this?” are less frequent. Maintenance is mostly routine rather than reactionary. We are certainly more relaxed. We’ve put a lot of effort into getting to this point but the reality is we didn’t get here entirely on our own. Something I’ve meant to do for some time was to show my thanks to all those folks
who helped us, whether they knew it or not, get to this point.

First and last my thanks have to go to Helen for embracing the idea of cruising and helping to make it work. By being there when I had my darker moments and being part of the two man team we needed to make this all happen.

Thanks must go to our sons for letting their parents leave home and being so grown up that we felt we could do this.

Big thanks to Anne and John who provided us a roof over our head when we sold our house, who are providing storage for our most personal belongings and have provided us support and comfort through the transition.

Thanks must go to Margaret our property manager who really helped us out and continues to help us out with the rental property we poured our efforts into before we left.

Thanks have to go to the cruisers we met very early on in St Martin who embraced us as friends and helped us get onto our feet without any expectations of help in return. In particular, Tom and Pat from Lone Star, Jim and Anne from Bees Knees and Marci and David from Godiva. I hope the friendship we have formed will outlast whatever life next throws at all of us.

Special thanks must go to Eddie who got us over our initial (what felt like insurmountable) hump of getting things done on the boat. Help from Eddie went far beyond professional duty and we hope to remain as friends and perhaps to meet up again soon (Panama?)

Big thanks to Paul who has been emailing us weather forecasts to my SSB email. Invaluable help when we’re off the net (even though this has been less often than expected)

Thanks to all the boat captains at True North Sailing who taught us so much the year we sailed around New York Harbour.

Thanks to the Brown’s for inviting us to sail on Timeless and ultimately selling her to us and for providing help after sale.

Thanks must go to John MacKenzie for letting me crew Windancer IV across the Atlantic – a great confidence builder for me.

I have to thank the managers at the firms I have worked for and with over the last 10 years who have provided me the opportunities and guidance to learn and grow professionally and ultimately earn enough to take this trip. I also must thank all those who have worked for or with me with whose efforts and successes my own successes rode.

In Oscar terms the music has been playing me out for a while now so if I’ve left you out, please remember you’re not forgotten. Being out here on the boat one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is how important other people are. I’ve always known this but this has become especially true.

So to everyone who has helped, my profound appreciation and best wishes for your own success.