As promised, this is the BLOG of journey of a life time. I have been blessed with the resources, network and good health to begin to fulfill a long time dream.


The first couple of posts will be for background. Some of you have been with me since the beginning and probably know as much about this as I do. Others of you are either people with whom I have recently reconnected or some of the great folds that I am meeting along the way.

The Plan

Ever since the first Tardis, a 28.5 foot Hunter Sailboat, the dream was to finish the first (business) career and sail off into the sun set. The dream continued with the second Tardis, a 33.5 Hunter Sailboat and finally the first Sleeping Bear, a Hunter 37 Legend Sailboat. I would have preferred to start and complete this dream with a partner. The search for crew, AKA the women of Tardis, continued through the 1990’s and is beginning again!

Alan and Margo Jackson, Dale and Sue Stock, each took off on cruises to the Caribbean in the 90’s. They were living the dream. Listening to their experiences and recognizing my own preferences, my dream morphed from that of a blue water cruiser to that of an inter-coastal traveler. About 10 years ago, research began on different types of motorboats, houseboats and trawlers. At the advice of a broker in 2002, a like new 2000 Sea Ray Sundancer (express cruiser) was chosen over a 1987 Marine Trader Trawler as an interim boat rather than the final solution. It was good logic. I was working long hours at Con Agra and commuting between home in Racine and apartment in Schaumburg. A plastic go-fast boat better fit that lifestyle. It would have worked for the trip if need be. It was low maintenance, with NO TEAK and provided the opportunity to move quickly up and down Lake Michigan.

In 2006, the Sea Ray was listed with a broker and the search for the last boat began. In January of 2007, a 1987 Kha Shing in Portage, Indiana, was listed on the internet. In May of 2007, we took the high speed ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon. There were several brokers and a total of 7 boats were visited. The Kha Shing was the last and the roughest. It was dripping with potential! The boating market went to hell a little ahead of the housing market. Not wishing to be a fleet commander again*, I waited until the check cleared on the sale of the Sea Ray, in April of 2008 before making a move on the Kha Shing.

As I am typing this first posting, there is a slide show at the top of the BLOG that shows different views at different stages of the restoration. Before and After snap shots are better understood, if you right-click on a picture and select “open link” you should be directed to Picasa Web Albums. Here you should be able to see larger pictures with captions describing each view. If for some reason this does not work, send me an email and I can forward you the pictures in either Word or Power Point formats.

At this point I need to acknowledge that the transformation of this Sleeping Bear (Should have been Dick’s Last Resort) was due in large part to the support, effort and vision of my dear friend Marc Elsmo. There was also a lot of help from the partners and employees of Racine Riverside Marina. These are not the only people to whom I am grateful. The fact that there were people, friends and family who are willing to be supportive of me in the effort means a great deal. I can’t thank you enough and hope that the Blog will allow a vicarious enjoyment of the adventure. It will also let you know where I am and where I am going. Please feel free to join me. Call ahead so that we can coordinate details.

*That is someone who owns more than one boat.