Voyage of the Capricorn Lady

VOYAGE OF THE CAPRICORN LADY

Many people fantasize about buying a boat to sail away to exotic ports and interesting destinations. They save and plan for the day when it will be possible to depart, often selling possessions, putting valued items in storage, and making arrangements with friends and relatives to handle their affairs while they are gone.

When we traded a beachside condominium we owned for the 40’ Newporter Ketch Capricorn, we never dreamed that this boat would be our only home for several years, providing a way to make our living on the sea.

Dan’s career in the real estate business in central Florida was abruptly ended one day in July 1977 when one of his banking partners acted without notice, seizing all the assets in his office building, including furniture and telephone equipment, putting more than thirty people out of work. When we left Florida aboard Capricorn, I thought we would be gone no more than a couple of weeks, and neither of us realized we would not return to live in the United States for almost 25 years.

Old Capricorn became not only our home, but a way to make a living when we discovered the crewed charter industry in the Virgin Islands. The subtitle of my first book, Lost At Sea With Daniel T., does not mean we were physically “lost at sea”. Dan Gilman never got lost; that man always knew exactly where he was. Dan taught celestial navigation when he was an Air Force Officer, and long before satellite navigation, could exactly pinpoint where we were at all times. When we sailed away from Florida, it was as if we left planet earth for another realm, a new life, light years away from the kind of life I thought I would build with my husband in Florida. That life included being close to my children and stepchildren, my parents and friends, so I did feel “lost at sea” for many years when this closeness was no longer possible. The boat dwelling life was one I did not choose, but learned to love, and I worked hard to be successful in my new role.

Travel with me through the Bahamas to the Caribbean in the pages of my first book, with a stop at Long Island in the lower Exumas where Dan and I almost lost our lives in a terrible boating accident. When you read about the night when we fell out of our dinghy at Salt Pond Bay and the boat turned in a circle, striking Dan in the face with the engine propeller, you will understand why I believe our Guardian Angels were on duty, blessing us with their protection, so we could share many more years together.

If you are considering the cruising life, join me for the first part of my journey as we sail and snorkel our way through the sunny waters of the Bahamas through the Turks and Caicos Islands, past Haiti and the Dominican Republic, to Puerto Rico and finally, the Virgin Islands. On the way, watch us as we adapt to new circumstances while discovering the charm and culture of many island societies. When you are finished, jump aboard the 71’ Trumpy Capricorn Lady for continuing adventures in the second book, Voyage Of The Capricorn Lady, The Shadow Of His Smile.