FROM THE HELM

By Bob Osborn, SV Pandora, President SDSA

HEAD OUT AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS!

Each month we send out renewal notices to the Dawgs whose memberships are up for renewal.  Along with that notice is a personal request asking those who are not planning to renew to tell me why.   On occasion, I receive notes explaining that the member is selling his/her boat, but a sadly common reason is declining health. 

The other day I received a note from one of our members, I’ll call her Mary, who shared the story of her husband’s battle with Alzheimer’s and that that while they had been able to cruise for a few years after his diagnosis, the disease had been progressing more rapidly than expected.  The time to simplify their life and accept the reality of what was happening had arrived.  On a personal note, Brenda and I know of a couple in their late 60s, lifelong friends of ours, who have had to abandon their cruising plans because the husband has been diagnosed with early onset dementia.    We all have stories of friends who have had to make major changes in their lives because of a serious health diagnosis that developed with little warning. 

As I write this, I have just celebrated my 69^th birthday, a sobering milestone, which punctuates, for me, the importance of “doing it now.”  I can tell you that our decision to spend some time cruising the Mediterranean for a few years is certainly driven by a sense that we had better not wait. 

The simple fact is that none of us are getting any younger and I encourage you to do what you can to get out there and realize your dreams while you can.   Helping cruisers make the jump from coastal to blue water sailing is what drives Salty Dawg , so I encourage you to set a date, spend time with Dawgs who are out on the water, and just do it. 

If you are not already a member of Salty Dawg, join today and immerse yourself in the community as there is no better way learn than from those who are enthusiastic to “pay it forward” and share their experiences.  You never know what the future holds, and it is a rare cruiser who would say that they wish they had worked a few more years and put off that trip to the Bahamas, Caribbean or sailing in Europe.  Besides, no one ever said, “If only I had spent more time at the office.”

Is this the year you will participate in a Salty Dawg Rally?  If you are even thinking about it, I say that the answer must be YES!

Go ahead, take the leap.  Join today as it is never too soon to plan your next adventure.  

Need convincing?  Contact me at [email protected]