Before December, 2008, only fifteen  illustrious cruising sailors had been inducted into the Catalina Offshore Cruisers Hall of Fame. CLICK HERE
to see all fifteen boats, skippers and crews, and to read the short recap of their achievements.

This honor was bestowed upon us in December, 2008 when we were also inducted into the Offshore Cruisers Hall of Fame.
CLICK HERE to enlarge the image so you can read the short write-up of our voyage.

On December 9, 2008 we atttended the Annual General Meeting of the Bluewater Cruising Association where we were honored to receive the  2008 Coastal Award, for cruising 4200+ nautical miles from Ensenada to Alaska and back to southern British Columbia. The Bluewater Cruising Association consists of almost 500 sailors, many of whom have accomplished extensive coastwise cruising, ocean passages and even circumnavigations. To be honored by this esteemed organization was really thrilling.

Sharon Drechsler writes often whimsical, always intriguing, observations about travel venues for publications, which include the Arizona Republic, Mainsheet magazine, and The Mariner magazine.
 
Sharon began her journalism career in Washington, DC before relocating to Southern  California where she wrote the launch-edition of Orange County’s WHERE magazine. She lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, for almost ten years before moving on-board a 47-foot sailboat with her husband, Dick. From her desk on-board, she writes freelance travel articles, is contributing editor of Resort Trades magazine and operates a PR and marketing company, Drechsler Communications.

Dick worked for thirty years in the real estate development industry. His career started immediately after college in Southern California when he worked for a community development company based in Colorado. Dick was active in the resort development industry from 1978 and developed several resorts, including the Plaza Resort Club in Reno, Nevada and the Embassy Vacation Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 2003 Dick formed ResortWiFi, a provider of wireless Internet services to the vacation development industry.
     After surviving Stage 3 neck and throat cancer, Dick retired from the resort development industry and sold ResortWiFi in 2007. Since then, together with Sharon, Dick has been cruising full time, recently completing a 4200 mile voyage which began in Ensenada, Mexico and ended in Sidney, British Columbia, where they are currently wintering after a summer spent cruising the wilds of southeastern Alaska.

Dick's story of struggle, survival and hope in overcoming the impact of cancer struck a chord with Latitude 38 Publisher Richard Spindler. His story about the courage and determination Dick derived through clinging to his lifelong dream of cruising has already been an inspiration to other sufferers. (CLICK HERE TO READ IT FOR YOURSELF)

Dick has also founded the Sail Through Cancer Foundation. The mission is simple and straightforward. The Sail Through Cancer Foundation is an organization dedicated to providing respite and inspiration to those afflicted with cancer. Sail Through Cancer Foundation has at its core the grassroots fulfillment of its mission by a network of volunteer boat owners, skippers, and those involved in the boating community, our "Armada of Hope," that enable the Foundation to provide respite and relief in the form of a day on the water to enrich the human experience. We will also inspire those diagnosed with cancer through stories of recovery and perseverance in beating cancer and leading normal, even exceptional lives, thereafter.