About the Book

Many years ago the author and his wife, Millie (now deceased) dreamed of living and cruising on a boat for an extended period of time. This book takes you through the planning process, the preparations prior to leaving family and friends behind and buying a suitable boat on which to live and cruise. It is not meant to be a procedural guide; rather it is a record of places we visited and the extraordinary folks we met along the way. It looks at the day-to-day activities of living aboard and the unanticiipated demands that go with the lifestyle. Follow us as we begin our journey in Florida near Sarasota, and proceed to Fort Myers, Key West and Fort Pierce. From Fort Pierce, we embarked on a cruise that would take us north on the Atlantic ICW to the Upper Chesapeake Bay, returning to Punta Gorda, FL. From there we embarked on passages to the Bahamas and across the Gulf Stream to Gulfport, MS. If a dream like this has ever crossed your mind, you may decide after reading this book that living and cruising on a boat is for you. Make it happen. Bon Voyage!

Features & Details

About the Author

The author, Hugh French, was born in 1930 in Baltimore, MD. He graduated in 1947 from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, a pre-engineering high school, and then attended University of Maryland, School of Engineering. His education was interrupted by his service in the US Air Force from 1951 to 1955 where he attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. Following his enlistment, he enrolled in night school at Johns Hopkins University and graduated with a BSE in Electrical Engineering in 1962. Later he attended University of Dallas night school where he graduated with an MBA in Business Administration in 1977. He was employed by Bendix Radio in Towson, MD as an Electronics Engineer from 1955 ‘til 1962, and by E-Systems, Inc. as a Systems Engineer until he retired in 1992. He married Mildred Daniels in 1954; they had three children. After retirement, he and Millie pursued their lifetime dream of living and cruising on a 40-foot powerboat from 1993 to 1996. Then they moved back ashore and pursued traditional retirement activities e.g. golf, fishing traveling, etc. Millie was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2000 and Hugh served as her caregiver throughout her journey until she passed in 2008. He moved back to Texas and is now living in Tyler, TX at the Hamptons Retirement Community where he is actively engaged in various volunteer activities including writing and caregiver efforts.