Capt. Mark East’s Advice to the Careworn, Confused, Lovelorn and Other Outdoor People

Dear Capt. East,
I’m going to retire next fall because I’m 60 and I can and I figure I’d better while there’s something left of this country. I bought a 36' sailboat and a good friend is teaching me how to sail and cruise. Come September, I’m going to leave my Jersey home, pack the sailboat and head south. I hope I can find some female companion who will share the fun and the dishes. Can you recommend any places to go.
Signed, Wanderlusting

Dear Wanderlusting,
The “world is your apple” so the saying goes. Just remember, sailing and living in close quarters “ain’t always” a bowl of cherries. So pick your crew carefully. I’d guess there’s a few gals in New Jersey that would enjoy heading for new coves and southern waters. Especially after this past winter. (I haven’t taken the cover off my boat yet). T’were me I’d post notes at marinas and yacht clubs, better to find someone who knows which way the pointy end goes. Then I’d make Belize my destination, take my time going down. Spend a few weeks on the Yucatan. You may decide never to come back.

Dear Mister Mark,
This past fall my new wife and I attended the South East Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, S.C., where we stayed with good friends. Must say that this was one of the finer outdoor life get-togethers I’ve ever attended. Even my wife, who really hasn’t adjusted to the idea she has to compete with my hunting and fishing trips, enjoyed it. The Southerners seem to view their hunting and fishing in a more genteel fashion than we Northerners. One guy said to us, “I look at the South as a place, and the North as a compass direction.” I’m still wondering how to take that.
Signed, Field and Stream

Dear Field and Stream,
You are most correct. How would you absorb that statement? However, having hunted in the south on several memorable experiences, I would agree the South is a place unto itself and the Civil War remains in full play some hundred plus years later. “SEWE” (C-We) as it’s called, is a great exposition – the cooking, sporting dogs, art, and much, much more – and well worth attending. There’s really nothing like “Southern Hospitality” anywhere else in the country. And, Charleston is no second-class city either.

Write: capmarke@gmail.com