How lucky can I be to have a guy who not only bought a 52 ft. sailboat, but also named it after me! That's what you call love.

We had many adventures aboard the Maria, but none equaled the trip to Bermuda. It was Steve's dream to make that trip and it was his friends who helped make that dream come true - and what a great crew, knowledgeable and enthusiastic!

I think I was the least helpful member of the crew, but how could you leave "Maria" behind. The captain said, "Where I go, you go!" and the captain must be obeyed at all times!

We had incredibly good weather as we sailed for Bermuda and I thought that at last I was becoming a fairly competent sailor, but on the return trip when fierce storms and huge waves battered the Maria, I dreaded going topside. So this is the perfect opportunity for me to thank all the crewmembers who helped out by taking my watch when the going was really rough.

One regret...that we never made that trip across the ocean to Greece. That was Steve's ultimate dream, but perhaps one day Jimmy will fulfill that dream by training the new generation and sailing with them to the isles of Greece.