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but Caribee was tossed aground. They would spend about a month working to get her seaworthy again. "I think it was a few years before we really appreciated the lessons Andrew taught us," Randy writes in "Half Fast." "The storm was our trial-by-fire and we survived it to become stronger, more capable, more confident cruisers." Life On The Water As they traveled, they were rarely in a hurry, spending weeks, months and sometimes over a year anchored in a spot, soaking up the culture. "I think the most significant insight we gained from our travels is that in their essential nature all people are the same, no matter their culture, race, ethnicity or religion," Randy writes in an email. "They all want the same things — a comfortable standard of living, stability in their lives, financial and physical security, good health care, freedom to direct their own lives and a better life for their children." Over the years, the Bakers would take jobs to refill their sailing kitty. By 1996, Randy says, they were in the Virgin Islands and their savings had dwindled to about $500. Cheryl found work at a restaurant owned by a German man, and Randy worked as a first mate on a boat that took tourists snorkeling. He also was a carpenter for a local contractor. The restaurant owner would send food home with Cheryl, which helped them save money. "We weren't spending hardly anything on groceries," she says. "You don't have a lot of expenses," Randy says of life on the boat. "You don't have rent, you don't have vehicles, you don't even need a lot of clothes, really." Along with working for a paycheck, they were also keeping Caribee afloat. "People think you're just sitting around drinking pina coladas, but it's a lot of work," Randy says. Mates And Partners How did they get along, living in such close quarters all that time? "We get asked that a lot," Cheryl says. "I think it made our relationship stronger." Randy adds in a later email that they were not only a couple but crew members on Caribee: "You feel a strong sense of shared responsibility for the safety of each other and the boat. That carries over to the rest of your relationship, I believe, and I know it brought us very much closer emotionally as a couple." After 15 years spent mostly in the Caribbean, they went through the Panama Canal and sailed the South Pacific. The chapter about their time on the remote island of Kanton just might make a sailor out of the most dedicated landlubber, though the following chapter, a dramatic detailing of the horror of the tsunami after an offshore earthquake, is a serious reality check. By 2012, they were coming back to Clinton regularly to care for Randy's mother and aunt, leaving Caribee in Fiji. They finally sold the boat last year and live full time in the home they inherited from Randy's aunt. Randy began writing "Half Fast" in 2013 and got editing help from Iribarren. "I'm biased, but I thought it was very well written," Iribarren says. "He's also inspired me to write a book." Cheryl's brother, McCormac, who is not a sailor, calls it: "Sailing for dummies. It was an easy read. I think his boating buddies would get it, and regular folks would get it." After so long on the water living pretty much by their own rules, the Bakers seem relatively content to be back. "This is a good place to live," Cheryl says. "It feels like home." "We've talked about selling this out and maybe getting another boat," Randy says. "But a boat is a lot of work, and I've gotten used to not doing boat work." Independent & Level 2 Assisted Living Community 2300 SE 28th Street | Bentonville 479.273.9969 www.themeadowsinbentonville.com We are a Family Owned and Operated Award Winning Level 2 Assisted Living Community located in Bentonville Best of Northwest Arkansas the LIKE our Facebook page before 11:59 pm this Tuesday, March 3 at to be entered to win: 2 All-Day FREE Passes to Branson Big Air Trampoline Park Go to: facebook.com/BestBranson Like The Best of Branson on Facebook for a chance to win some Really Great Prizes! (Monday - Thursday) This week's prize: New contest each week! facebook.com/BestBranson 40 WHAT'S UP! MARCH 1-7, 2020 Bakers Continued From Page 38 ARTS AWAY