“That’s Not Me!”

"I was a bit surprised last week when one morning I had three new emails from ladies I didn’t know," writes Marc Hachey of the Auburn-based Peterson 44 Sea Angel which is now in Dominica. "Each of them said they had read about me in ‘Lectronic Latitude. A day later I got to read the item myself. Had I known it was coming, I would have made a couple of changes.

"First off, the heading would have read: ‘Any Ladies Looking for Sailing and Adventure?’ By no means would I have advertised for ‘Romance’! If later on, after I got to know a lady, ‘romance’ entered the picture, I would not chase it away. I prefer to get to know a lady first and develop a friendship before I even think about romance.

"I have met other captains who have told me straight up, if a lady comes to sail with them, they expect the lady to share their berth. That’s not me! I make it perfectly clear before any crew even makes plans to join Sea Angel they will be staying in their own private V-berth, and have their own head. My personal cabin, berth and head, are in the aft of the boat. That’s where I sleep and have my personal space which, as with their personal space, must be respected. This is important in such a confined area as a boat.

"I would love to have compatible female crew aboard Sea Angel to share this fantastic lifestyle, but please, I don’t want any women thinking about joining me for the ‘romance’, because if that develops at all, it takes months. Prospective crewmembers should come for the sailing, hiking, exploring, living aboard a cruising yacht, and getting a hands-on feel for the local culture. I don’t think they would be disappointed."

To contact Marc, send him an email — he doesn’t check it every day so don’t be disappointed if you don’t hear from him for awhile.