As high school graduation neared, I had the sneakin feeling that I wouldn't do so great in college (had attention issues in high school - staring out the window - hmmm).  I happened by the US Coast Guard recruiting office one Winter's day, and the course of my life took a pretty sharp turn.  I followed the little voice in my head and a month later, I was enlisted in the USCG for a 4 year hitch.  This was an out of body experience, but I'm glad I listened and followed.  I was finally going to get near the ocean!
The Coast Guard experience was priceless, and it gave me the solid foundation of seamanship skills that I get to use everyday today, exploring in Airielle.
The first year and half in the Coast Guard was spent as a bosun's mate aboard the 378 foot cutter Sherman, home port Boston, MA.  Our primary missions were drug and fisheries enforcement all along the East Coast and the Caribbean.
Seems like every time we passed Cape Hatteras, we got hammered!  I  used to wonder why man ever went to sea.  I wanted to be back home watching cartoons on Saturday mornings!
The remainder of my enlistment was spent in the beautiful, history rich town of Newburyport, MA at the Merrimac River Lifeboat Station.  This was an ideal place to learn small boat handling and operating in fog.  The Merrimac River has quite a current and moves swiftly across a bar at the mouth of the inlet at Plum Island.  Especially exciting with a northeast wind and an ebb tide!
While at the Lifeboat station, I was a coxswain (captain) of 41 and 44 foot search and rescue boats.
I've always been a dreamer.  I think this was because of the hours spent as a kid reading National Geographic and anything I could find about sailors such as Robin Lee Graham, Robin Knox Johnston or Sir Francis Chichester.
My sailing career began when I was 14 and I took a Summer job renting sailboats and teaching basic sailing on Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City, OK.  Lake Hefner was a fantastic sailing lake.  The south wind is so constant the short scrubby trees seem to grow at a 45 degree angle.
USCG Licensed Captain
The Captain
Bruce Swabb
aaaaaaaaaaaaiii