The Orcas Island Yacht Club would like to introduce the 2019 Commodore Ben McLeod.

“Debbie and I are from the east coast. We met in Ft. Lauderdale working together in aerospace electronics and enjoyed live-aboard life and aboard our 41 foot sailboat for over 10 years,” said McLeod. “In 1998, we sold our home and sailboat and moved west to Redmond, Washington with a job move. While living in comfortable suburbia for 15 years we had the joy of raising our daughter, Shannon. But, during this time we were “boatless” and wondering if we would ever be back on the ocean.”

Fate came their way in 2011 when they purchased a Farr 50PH performance cruising sloop in Mystic, Connecticut.

“Over 18 months we sailed ‘Dunvegan’ on the outside down the East Coast through the Caribbean, Panama and Costa Rica to Rosario, Orcas Island – 10,000 nautical miles,” he said. “In 2013 we purchased our present home in Olga and have cruised the Alaska Inside Passage, Desolation Sound and circumnavigated Vancouver Island. Needless to say, we are very happily settled here with our island friends, and especially with our Orcas Island Yacht Club fellow boaters! How lucky can you be!”