Welcome...
Life is a precious, fleeting thing. I know this is not an original thought but every now and then we get a stark reminder of just how true it can be. Last month, while enjoying my two-week summer break larking about on boats in Poole, Peter Cumberlidge sent me his usual menu of feature ideas to pick from.
Written with the same love and attention that a Michelin-starred chef lavishes on a signature dish, it is like a tasting menu of all the wonderful cruising stories that Peter has planned for the year ahead. It’s the highlight of my editorial calendar and culminates in a meeting, over a pie and a pint, where we flesh out the details and plot the running order.
It’s such a joy to read that I left it unopened as a treat to look forward to once back in the office. What I hadn’t expected was an email from Peter’s wife 10 days later explaining that Peter had been quietly battling cancer for a year and had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.
I rushed down to visit him in hospital the following Friday. By Monday he was gone.
I tell you this not to raise a tear but to remind you that life is short. Peter started his career working in a bank before switching to making a living writing about the cruising life he really enjoyed. It might not have earned him a banker’s salary but I know who’s led the richer life.
DON’T MISS OUT!
I like to think that the stories we publish inspire others to start their own adventures and now we have the proof. A year ago Nigel Meek read our story about refitting a Sunseeker Superhawk 50, now you can read and watch the video of the refit he was inspired to do on a HUNTON XRS 43. You can also enjoy our videos of the FAIRLINE SQUADRON 68, GREENLINE 48 and the COASTKEY wireless kill cord system I fitted to my boat.