I was born in RI and grew up a loner, always wandering the field and woods adjacent to my yard when I wasn't reading. I graduated from high school in '77, planning to be a writer, changed my mind in college and earned a BS in Botany from URI in '83, and then an MS in Botany from UGa. Ink still wet on my thesis, I entered Peace Corps and spent 2 years in Samoa (then Western Samoa) in the South Pacific, where I worked at the University of the South Pacific's School of Agriculture, editing a magazine and teaching a bit. After Close of Service, I met my bride-to-be in my parents church, where she was interning. I went thru a 1-year teacher certification course back at URI, and worked temp jobs and substituted while we married, moved to my wife's apartment near her job in se Mass. We were happy, but poor. About a year into our marriage, I finally found a job in RI 45 minutes away.
When our family did not grow in the usual way, we determined to adopt locally. Our son Aron came to us at the beginning of '96 just before his first birthday. After a few years two more sons followed in quick succession: Stephen in the fall of 2000 at 4 months, and his half-brother Trevor the following spring at 4 years. The boys have ever since been a source of endless frustration and joy. Beatrice and I remain a strong team--so as not to be totally overpowered!
In 2004 I began searching for a way to get back into sailing, which had enlivened my youth. After having my breath taken away at used boat prices, I determined to build my own--despite a complete lack of experience. After being taken with the Sea Pearl cat-ketch design, I settled on the Core Sound 20 from B and B Yacht Designs. Members of a building forum at messing-about.com--and sometimes Graham Byrnes himself--gave generous and continuing help and advice, and the Beatrice Ann was launched after 13 months of concentrated effort in August '05. My two younger boys, Trevor and Stephen are stalwart crew on most trips. Beatrice is Port Admiral, supporting our ventures but not interested in participating in most of them.
Many adventures and growing ambitions have led to a significant boat modifications. The original boat is now hard to recognize since it now has a permanent cabin. My modifications have undoubtedly hurt her sailing characteristics, but have increased my comfort and safety during the weekend trips I do most often. Over the years we have sailed all of Narragansett Bay, into open water to Block Island, and from launching in New Bedford Harbor gone as far as Hyannis on the south Cape, and Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket among the islands. My youngest son and I recently sailed up the Massachusetts coast from historic Plymouth to storied Gloucester over three days.
The boatbuilding bug once contracted is hard to cure: three more home-built boats have followed, each one answering new desires for capabilities: ability to forego ramps, ability to ply small inland waterways, comfort in cold and rainy conditions. Besides Beatrice Ann, the armada now includes the Bebe, a Michalak Piccup Pram, Serendipity, a B&B Birder 2 kayak, and Surprise, a Michalak Jewelbox Jr. A Chuckanut 12 skin-on-frame kayak, named Musketaquid in honor of Henry David Thoreau, emerged from a summer boat-building workshop with kids. A cheap plastic kayak I call Speedbump and the inflatable kayak tender Rubber Duck complete the fleet. I have had significant adventures in almost all, but Beatrice Ann remains my big-water big-adventure boat.
As of 2011 I left my teaching job, and am embarking on new adventures. Whatever the future brings, I know my sailing and paddling will not be left behind.
