A Classical Crew for a Classic Yacht
The HMR Crew of the Joan III
Left to right:
John Riddell - 2nd watch captain and a skilled carpenter who has added some crucial details to Joan III: anti skid bars on the companion way stairs and the crash bar to avoid hitting the oven. There are also many other details that show John's quality handy work. John is the bearer of the Purple Heart, a great mainsail trimmer and our neighbor in Houston. This was John's first HMR and off shore sailing on the Gulf of Mexico.
Joan Eischen - fore-deck and race officer. And of course Joan I. When we all get slow Joan gets the competitiveness back up. The fantastic stews kept the crew energized on the way out and also on the long trip back home. Joan finds the long stretch a bit boring but has enjoyed the finish that most of us found slightly stressful. Joan's first HMR and first Gulf of Mexico offshore. In her daily life Joan is a director at KPMG.
Maarten - skipper. The man with the checklists. First time on his own yacht in the HMR and 3rd time HMR. Rules: safe, nothing breaks and arriving before some of the others. When not sailing Maarten leads Celerant's Energy Practice: he could inspect many oil and gas rigs on this trip. His long time sailing has ingrained very specific ways of doing things on board that the crew has patiently assimilated (and hopefully saw the usefulness later in the dark and with more wind).
Bill Courtney - 1st watch captain and navigator and also a man with checklists. Bill has sailed the HMR many times with different yachts and brought a lot of experience as well as useful phone numbers for marinas. The hospitality in Port Aransas together with his wife Steph makes this a pleasant stop indeed. Bill needs to make time for regattas between his busy life as marketing director of Rice University.
Ken McMillen - fore-deck and medical officer. We must be one of the few yachts sailing with an on-board dentist. Ken is Joan III's gadget man: he has all the things that we always plan to buy but never do. The high power beam lights, the handy flashlights with red and white light, the spare navigation lights are all Ken's contributions. Moreover Ken showed how good he is with the mechanical and electrical parts of the boat. Ken and Maarten spend more than 3.5 hours to clean the three diesel filters of the engine and got the engine better than ever with great patience and manipulation of the mirror on the stick and loosing only one or two wrenches in the bilge (next gadget? A magnet!). He also solved the mysterious switching off and on of the cabin lights.
All together a complementary skill-set and a great group of one lady and 4 gentlemen.
Classic people on a classic yacht.
Left to right:
John Riddell - 2nd watch captain and a skilled carpenter who has added some crucial details to Joan III: anti skid bars on the companion way stairs and the crash bar to avoid hitting the oven. There are also many other details that show John's quality handy work. John is the bearer of the Purple Heart, a great mainsail trimmer and our neighbor in Houston. This was John's first HMR and off shore sailing on the Gulf of Mexico.
Joan Eischen - fore-deck and race officer. And of course Joan I. When we all get slow Joan gets the competitiveness back up. The fantastic stews kept the crew energized on the way out and also on the long trip back home. Joan finds the long stretch a bit boring but has enjoyed the finish that most of us found slightly stressful. Joan's first HMR and first Gulf of Mexico offshore. In her daily life Joan is a director at KPMG.
Maarten - skipper. The man with the checklists. First time on his own yacht in the HMR and 3rd time HMR. Rules: safe, nothing breaks and arriving before some of the others. When not sailing Maarten leads Celerant's Energy Practice: he could inspect many oil and gas rigs on this trip. His long time sailing has ingrained very specific ways of doing things on board that the crew has patiently assimilated (and hopefully saw the usefulness later in the dark and with more wind).
Bill Courtney - 1st watch captain and navigator and also a man with checklists. Bill has sailed the HMR many times with different yachts and brought a lot of experience as well as useful phone numbers for marinas. The hospitality in Port Aransas together with his wife Steph makes this a pleasant stop indeed. Bill needs to make time for regattas between his busy life as marketing director of Rice University.
Ken McMillen - fore-deck and medical officer. We must be one of the few yachts sailing with an on-board dentist. Ken is Joan III's gadget man: he has all the things that we always plan to buy but never do. The high power beam lights, the handy flashlights with red and white light, the spare navigation lights are all Ken's contributions. Moreover Ken showed how good he is with the mechanical and electrical parts of the boat. Ken and Maarten spend more than 3.5 hours to clean the three diesel filters of the engine and got the engine better than ever with great patience and manipulation of the mirror on the stick and loosing only one or two wrenches in the bilge (next gadget? A magnet!). He also solved the mysterious switching off and on of the cabin lights.
All together a complementary skill-set and a great group of one lady and 4 gentlemen.
Classic people on a classic yacht.
