By Kevin

We met Mark and Cheryl while tied to the dock at theStaniel Cay Yacht Club. They sailed their yacht, S/V Strider, down from Warrenville, Illinois to the Virgin Islands and were on their way back north. They saw the Wheaton, Illinois hailing port on the back of Real Life and came over to say hi.

You can follow their travels on their blog.

By Jennifer

This is Lynne and Gerry, “Captain Gerry,” that is. Kevin met Gerry when Gerry started following our blog. Gerry owns a 42-foot Whitby, a twin of our 42-foot Brewer. At some point during our stay in Fort Lauderdale, Gerry, a retired-Irish Navy officer, offered to help us get accustomed to how this boat sails. He’s been an awesome teacher — thank you! Lynne is a Pulitzer prize-winning AP photographer and works out of Miami. She loves papaya. Gerry introduced Zach to a Cuban Yoyo fishing line and is known for asking me if I have checked the weather reports. Yes. Yes, we are now routinely checking the weather reports… 

By Jennifer

This is Jessica and her 9-year-old daughter Gia — our boat neighbors at Casa del Sol. Not pictured (sorry!) is Gia’s dad Gordon. They live on “Felicity.” Both Jessica and Gordon work in the boating industry. Gordon is the chief engineer on a mega yacht called “Princess Sarah.” Jessica works as a steward on a different yacht — one of two that the owner operates out of Fort Lauderdale and Detroit. A fun family that cruised on a sailboat for two years when Gia was 3. The couple shared a wealth of information. Gordon is known for his “McGyver” tendencies. 

By Jennifer

This is Will. We were docked next to his sailboat for a little more than two months at Casa del Sol in Fort Lauderdale. Great guy. He and his gal frequently sail to Miami for overnights. He is best known for his “sailboat draws 3 ‘.”