We were coming back from Spain and the Canaries; he was returning from South Georgia. A wonderful, affable guy -- nonchalantly sharing stories about stitching up crew head wounds off South America and another trip where he was dismasted between New York and Bermuda.

I had no idea he was 79 . . . I would have guessed ten years younger. He is my role model -- somehow he gets away with working for a year and sailing for a year -- I think he is affiliated with a university.

And I hope to be sailing our same boat after 16 years, too -- though I could only dream of having two circumnavigations!