2010 Retrospective/2011 Outlook.

This time last year, Cathy and I were on our way back to Portland after spending New Year's week at Key West.  Niether of us then had the least idea that before 2010 was over we would be living 180 nautical miles from Key West.

 A week after returning to Portland, I accompanied Cathy to Washington DC to help her get set up in an apartment.  She was going there for a 6 month assignment with NOAA's Headquarters office.  I returned to Portland, but visited Cathy in DC several times and came to learn about the many attractions of that great city.

Cathy returned to Portland at the start of June, but by the end of that month she was off again.  The BP catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico was raging then, and she was asked to go on another 6 month assignment - this time with NOAA's Regional Headquarters in St Petersburg FL to help manage the response to the BP spill.

I wasn't going to stay at home while Cathy was in Florida.  I joined her there and with Coast Guard license and resume in hand I went around the St Petersburg marinas introducing myself.  It was off-season for skipper's work then, nevertheless I found a couple sailing schools and charterboat operations interested in my background.  In time I started getting calls for freelance gigs.  Meanwhile Cathy was on daily 8 AM conference calls with officials from federal agencies in DC and travelling around the Gulf Region, working the problems from the Gulf spill.

In time I was made an offer to take on a wider spectrum of work with Sailing Florida - to be involved in charter operations along with the instruction and skipper's work I was already doing.  I was delighted to accept.  Meanwhile Cathy, in her temporary position, had made herself indispensable.  She was offered a permanent position with the St Petersburg Regional Headquarters office.

In the coming weeks, we will return to Portland to arrange for shipment of our belongings here and to put our condo on the market.  We will find our own accommodations here in downtown St Petersburg.  The condo Cathy's employer rented for us has worked very well, but we'll have to find our own after her transfer to this office is official.

I look forward to the coming year with Sailing Florida and growing my involvement and responsibilities.  I look forward to sailing with Cathy down to Key West and the Dry Tortugas.  And I look forward to having my Cycletune prepared R6 racebike here and taking it to trackdays at Florida race tracks.  As for Cathy, I'm sure she will continue to make her mark on this region and raise the profile of the work this regional office does.  Together we will continue to learn about and become more involved with our new hometown - St Petersburg, Florida.  

2010 was a remarkable year for us.  2011 is looking excellent!