Sue's Schedule:

Sue is based in Dunedin, Florida (in the Tampa Bay area).  She is still enjoying a nautical life with Steve Siebert.

The Current Adventure Spring 2004

Finding a New Love

As long as cruising boats are properly maintained, they can easily outlast their mortal owners.

In the magazines and the cruise planning courses the topic concerns how to prepare your boat so that it doesn't sink or break down in the middle of nowhere. The cruise planning courses cover how to be self-sufficient during the journey.

The courses don't cover what happens if or when the journey ends.

What happens if your cruising partner dies or you go through a divorce?

In the book, The Sailing Adventures of La Boatique, I delve into the subject of death of a partner during the journey. After the adventures of the book ended, I went through a divorce.

I tried to look toward the bright side, but this winter seemed somewhat bleak. I had quit my well-paid job in 98 and had not worked since. I no longer had a home or a car since I had been living on the boat and traveling the world.

During the fall and winter I kept myself busy marketing my book and found that the books sold well. I found that the book business might bring fame, but rarely fortune. Still, selling the books was an enjoyable way to bring in some cash. Since I was not sure where I wanted to live or what I wanted to do, I stayed with my parents and my sister and I traveled.

I let my friends know that I did not enjoy living alone and was looking for a new man, a man that certainly enjoyed boats, preferably sailboats, and might enjoy cruising. My friend, Dierdre Wogaman, found a number of appropriate candidates. Don and D. Wogaman live aboard their ketch, the Southern Cross.  They were having canvas work done in Clearwater, Florida.  They are currently traveling north along the East Coast of the U.S. to Canada.

One of the men D. found ended up being the perfect fit.

His name is Steve Siebert. He is athletic, slender, and handsome with the kindest personality. He owns The Canvas Yard in Clearwater, Florida (Tampa Bay). He has a 36-foot Heritage West Indies sailboat  named Morningtide and loves to go out for day sails and cruises. Our personalities are similar yet complement each other perfectly. Neither of us has ever had children.

Steve needed help with the canvas business and I was looking for a fun and productive activity. Steve's jobs are on boats of all shapes and sizes from 16 to well over 60 feet in length. He works on both sail and powerboats. My years of boating and cruising experience were a real asset to the canvas business. I always enjoyed sewing in home economics, but never thought I would again make use of those talents. Likewise, I was very good in math and geometry. Making the best use of fabric entails mathematics and geometry. When the weather is nice, we are often out on boats working on a new design or an installation. Much of our time is spent at The Canvas Yard located at Ross Yacht's Boatyard. While laying out designs, cutting fabric, and sewing in the comfort of our climate-controlled loft, we enjoy a spectacular view of palms, a mangrove lagoon with wading birds, and a horizon with the resorts of Clearwater Beach on parade.

We keep in shape with a bike ride to the scenic state park at Honeymoon Island or a walk nearly every day.

I think that many people hesitate to go off cruising because they are concerned that they won't be able to find a good life after the journey is over. I found that cruising opened incredible opportunities. I am living in paradise in love with the best of men. Together the two of us enjoy a balance of productive work and quality playtime. We are looking forward to many sailing adventures in our future.

Steve at work at The Canvas Yard enjoys sewing and making boats beautiful.

I often watch egrets in the backyard in Dunedin, Florida.  

The kitchen view overlooks the pool and behind it a birdbath with a bird.