With kids done with college and retirement looming, Denise and John McLinn were looking for new adventures. They bought their first boat, a Beneteau 43, in 2010. They went from zero experience to doing a DelMarVa circumnavigation in that first year. Four years later, after racking up much experience, including two Bahamas trips, they bought Sloop John Dee II, a Beneteau Oceanis 48. They rented out their home and are living aboard for three years.
Denise writes, “We have been as far south in the Bahamas as the Jumentos and north in New England to Acadia National Park, ME.” The couple will spend their summer on the Chesapeake and then head to Cuba and back to the Bahamas.
What’s the best part about being in a cruising club?
Being a CB2 member has many benefits, one of the best things for us is sharing with other Beneteau owners experience and adventures, which inspires us and gives us invaluable information directly related to sailing and our boat.
Do you have a favorite recent memory from a club rendezvous or raftup?
Going to the 2015 Beneteau Rendevous in Baltimore. Lots of social hours and opportunity to compare notes with other owners who have boats just like ours or very similar.
Can you tell us about one interesting person you met through sailing?
One CB2 member in particular, Dave Bennet, who transited the Atlantic from Belgium to Virginia in the 80s with his teenage son and other crew, took us under his wing on our first trip to the Bahamas, offering sage advice at every opportunity from crossing the Gulf Stream east to the Bahamas in January to our crossing back in April.
Anything else you would like to share with SpinSheet readers about your sailing adventures?
One of the reasons we chose our first boat was the advantage being a member of CB2 offered to first-time sailors like us and experienced sailors.
We bought our first boat in 2010 and participated in the Beneteau Club’s DelMarVa BOLD (Beneteau Owners Living the Dream) trip in June 2010 after owning the boat for only two months. It was a big step for us. Since then we have traveled close to 15,000 nautical miles, including crossing the Gulf Stream several times, many overnight and multiple day trips.
