Port Captain Introductions: Bob Allenick

Bob Allenick has quite the range of boating experience. Let's read a little about our newly appointed Port Captain for Cleveland, Ohio (East, E-10) and wish him a hearty welcome...

     My first sailing experience took place at age 14, on a friend’s family boat – a classic wooden Dragon. The Dragon was a wet sailor when beating through Lake Erie’s 3-foot short chop – it was love at first dousing.

     After marrying my amazing bride, Sheila, we purchased several small tailorable boats that we sailed inside the Cleveland break wall and on Lake Chautauqua, where we also shared a 19-foot ski boat that introduced me to the joys of power boating.

     From that point forward, it became clear that my passion for boating would involve paddle, sail and power boats. 

     In 1986, Sheila and I bought our first keel boat, a new Tanzer 25. We enjoyed day sailing, JAM racing and vacation cruising White Knuckles to numerous ports around Lake Erie. When our daughters grew to the point where the 25 was feeling a bit cramped, we moved up to a Freedom 30, All-4-One. 

     The increased size provided greater speed, stability and creature comforts – enabling us to extend our cruising range. After a number of years day sailing and vacationing on All-4-One, we decided to begin planning for more extended post-retirement cruising and moved up to our current boat – Her Diamond – a Freedom 38.

     Before throwing off the dock lines in July of 2017, we completed a comprehensive refit, converting Her Diamond to a live-aboard cruiser. In our first year of cruising, we took Her Diamond down the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, down the East Coast to Florida and through the Bahamas, eventually establishing our home base in Punta Gorda on the west coast of Florida.

     We now split our time between cruising southern waters in the winter and spending summers in Cleveland. In addition to enjoying life on the water, I have worked in the marine industry, selling Tanzer sailboats, as assistant manager of a West Marine store. I currently run a small (retirement) business delivering power and sailboats, and coaching new owners. I hold a 50-Ton USCG Masters license and will soon upgrade to 100-Ton.

     Sheila and I are both “people-people.” One of the most rewarding parts of the cruising experience is the people we meet – a number of whom have become life-long friends.

     I (we) are proud to fly our GLCC burgee when we cruise and are proud to represent the club in the Greater Cleveland area.