Oh the places you'll go. ......and the people you'll meet

Cruisers are people who go interesting places and who meet interesting people. We met one such person in Oriental, North Carolina. In Oriental, we met fellow Illinoisan, Buzz Gentes, from Champaign, who decided retirement needed some challenges. So he acquired a 15 foot sailboat, minus a mast, two Honda 2 horsepower engines, a couple of 3 gallon gas tanks, and after some careful planning, set out to comlete The Great Loop. The Great Loop, for sailors, is a badge of honor, a goal of many; it is a watery circle which goes thousands of miles through all the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi, around Florida, up the east coast and back into the Great Lakes. There are several alternative connections along the way. Buzz began last November and as of the first of July had made it as far as Oriental, NC. He's not sure if the smallest boat to make the trip, but he's certainly close. You can follow his travels on the Dalomar at www,thedalomar.com