Jun 29 2010
Circumnavigation in the Plan for Members
Mike and Deana Ruel have always been go-getters. They don’t wait for life to come to them. They go out and make it happen! Life-long sailors, the couple also raised a family of success oriented children who are now grown. Then, Mike was diagnosed with cancer a few years back. He fought it valiantly and won! After recovery, as a reward, he got Deana and himself a Membership at SailTime Channel Islands.
Not content with the occasional day-sail or overnight out to the islands, Mike and Deana logged 100′s of hours of sailing, in good weather and bad, over the past two years. Upon return from one outing, I asked Mike why he went out in weather “like that.” He flatly stated that he and his wife were planning to sail around the world and they needed as much experience as they could get.
So, in between sailing trips around here that most often included scuba with his boys, free dives with the dolphins and visits deep into the island caves, Mike and Deana also diligently refitted their local home in anticipation of putting it up for sale. At some point, they deemed the house ready and boldly put it up for sale…it sold in 8 days!
That began a whirlwind of packing up, selling and giving away all of their worldly possessions until they fit into a small storage facility and a car top case. In a very short time, it was time for them to say goodbye to Southern California because Mike made the decision to get serious about buying a boat on the East coast for various reasons. With a little luck, which they seem to manufacture, they will find the perfect cruising boat in a month and head out to cruise the East coast this Summer and Fall before heading into the Caribbean. In fact, we hope to hook up with them in Antigua when we head there for our next Member flotilla in November. They hope to return to this harbor by next Winter to prep for “the big trip” which will start with a cruise to Alaska next Summer, then on to the South pacific and keep heading West for 25,000 miles or so.
We look forward to relaying cruising stories and linking to their photos as often as they report in. While they have been rushing to go though, the plan is roughly for a 10-year circumnavigation.
This IS a GRAND story and should be shared with one and all!!!!!!!
Good luck Mike & Deana, god bless and god speed.