Having been trained in nuclear power and having spent 28 years in the Navy, Bill has always had a love for the sea. He has sailed boats since college and has a degree in Nuclear Engineering, which means he can fix or build just about anything. When he's not sailing or working on the boat, he can usually be found reading (with coffee mug in hand) or playing one of his 2 guitars on board.
The First Mate
With a degree in Education, I (Katie) have had several different teaching/administrative jobs, both in the public school system and private learning centers. Working with students is a passion of mine and was one of the hardest things for me to give up. My work on the boat has, so far, been similar to that of a housewife along with helping whenever possible with whatever Bill is working on. When I am not combatting dust bunnies, I am usually on my Kindle and have recently taken up learning Spanish (again), the guitar (again), and sewing. 
Together
Bill and I have been traveling the country for the past few years in a 40' fifth wheel. We have taken interesting jobs along the way to fund our travels. Our backyard has been everything from the north rim of the Grand Canyon to a beach on the Gulf of Mexico. Both our wanderlust and our previous home made the transition to life aboard easier. We are both PADI-certified SCUBA divers and plan to dive as much as possible during our travels. We don't really have any definite plans as to where we'll sail (However, Bill doesn't want to be anywhere that is cold enough to require socks). We have planned to not plan. The Rest of Our Crew
Otherwise known as our 4-legged crew, our 4 cats make up the rest of our family. Bill and I each started our relationship with 2 cats. We both cared for our pets too much to give them up. So, when we moved in together and started traveling, they adjusted not only to each other but to life in a traveling home. I believe this helped with their transition to the boat also. They were already very adjusted to a moving environment when we moved aboard.
Simeon is the heart of the furry group. He is a Russian Blue mix, and at 17 lbs. (No, he is not overweight), is a big teddy bear. He is very sweet and loving. Eating is his favorite pastime, especially people food. He also likes to relax out in the cockpit with us. Simeon is a cancer survivor. He had a growing tumor in his left eye that, after rounds of treatment, had to be removed. He leads a life that is no different than his 2-eyed brothers and we are happy to have him with us.
Oliver is the little brother of the group since he is younger and smaller than the rest. He doesn't so much meow as whine when he wants something. He is a very sweet animal and loves to be around familiar people. Oliver is a bit of a scaredy-cat. Loud noises make him nervous. Somehow, Oliver seems have grown up without learning how to retract his claws. This doesn't make him as cuddly as we'd like and sometimes means I have to patch something that he got his claw stuck in. He also, for some reason, feels the need to chew on every string, ribbon, etc. within his reach. Thankfully this doesn't include electrical cords.
Kookie is a Manx. This means he was born without a tail. Sometimes his brothers find this odd. He even seems to be sensitive about his missing appendage himself. Kookie is a lap cat and usually decides to take a nap in our laps at very inconvenient times. His favorite activity is chasing shadows. This cuts down on toys for him since he's content with a light source and a few wiggling fingers. Out of the 4, he is the one least interested in being in the cockpit. The window is fine for him.
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