SCOA Commodores Award Recipients

Pat & Colleen DeGroodt - Southern Cross 35, Simmer

"2-22-03 - Hello to all our friends at SCOA! We are officially circumnavigators and so is our SC35 Simmer! We crossed our outbound path at Lat 20.59.6'N/Lon 73.51.2'W (that's in the Bahamas just west of Samana Cay) on 13 February 2003. It's been four years and 2 weeks since we left Georgetown, Bahamas. It feels a little strange to be returning to familiar anchorages again."

-- Pat & Colleen Degroodt

If you would like to know more about their trip or information on Pat's software called Visual Passage Planner go to their web site at www.digwave.com.

Pat Henry - Southern Cross 31, Southern Cross

"I am so pleased with your news this morning and greatly honored by being chosen for this award.

I wish it were possible to join you to personally thank everyone for his or her ongoing support and encouragement. This is the spirit of the sailing community that kept me going when my voyage presented many of its biggest challenges. Like Southern Cross represents to me the finest characteristics of a long-distance sailing vessel...one that always comes through when conditions are rough. SCOA exemplifies the finest ideals of the sailing community...sharing knowledge, assistance, enthusiasm, and encouragement."
Website www.pat-henry.com.

To learn more about her sailing school www.comingabout.com. Right now Southern Cross is our star, taking students out to learn to sail here on Banderas Bay.

--Pat Henry

(Pat's photo and text on the left are from the inside cover of her book "Grace of the Sea").

 

Janet Murphy & George Smith - Southern Cross 31, Apogee

"Janet Murphy & George Smith are Southern Cross 31 owners and world cruisers. They departed the US in 1986 aboard Apogee, hull number 148. Their cruising has taken them twice across the Atlantic, to the South Pacific and five round trips from New Zealand to Fiji, then to Austrialia, Malaysia, the Indian Ocean, up the Red Sea to Israel, Turkey, all through the Med, back across the Atlantic (this time on a transportation ship), up the intercoastal and back to New Jersey.
George was the 1986 Southern Cross Owners Association Commodore. They have contributed many very interesting and enjoyable articles for us to enjoy."

--Bill Duggan, Newsletter Editor