Exactly five years ago today, I got out of bed and checked my email and saw there was one from Skipper Bob. The evening before, I had sent him my latest batch of updates for the New York Canals book. The email was a short thank you note from Bob, time-stamped exactly 8 AM that morning. I could picture Bob sitting at his desk, probably looking forward to doing some editing on the books that morning. It turned out sending me that email was the last thing Bob did ... and then he slumped to the floor and died. The email remained on his screen afterwards. Bob is a great guy. He wrote the Skipper Bob books to asist the long distance cruisers, and with the help of his wife Elaine Reib, he did a mighty fine job. I first saw a copy of the New York Canals book, on my first visit up here in 2003. I was amazed how it contained absolutely everything I needed to know for my cruise, and I got my own copy the first chance I had. Kathy and I spend many days planning our future trips with the Skipper Bob book open as the ultimate reference. It wasn't very wordy, but it was concise and to the point, the perfect cruiser's helm reference. I loved the book, so I contacted Bob and started helping with it. Since about 2004, I had been sending Bob all kinds of updates and corrections, so that the book might be correct and complete and benefit future boaters, as it had done for me. The books are now continued by Ted Stehle, who continues Bob's excellent work, and I continue to send Ted updates for it. Bob is often in my mind as I gather info for the next updates. When Bob died, he left a big gap, but I always talk about Bob in the present tense as he will always be around. He will live on in the memory of those who knew him, those who worked with him, and his family. Skipper Bob is out there on the canals and waterways somewhere even now. You may not see him on your cruises, but he's out there with you. Skipper Bob, December 11th, 2006. May he cruise with us forever. Fred Wehner Tug 44

Thank you Fred. You have been a good friend and that is what counts. You judge a person by their character and not by the shoes he wears or the boat he skippers. You are right. Skipper Bob will be out there guiding people from all walks of life via the guides he started writing so many years ago. Thank you again for your memoir and for saying he was a great guy. Your friend, Elaine On Dec 11, 2011, at 11:32 AM, fred@tug44.org wrote: > Exactly five years ago today, I got out of bed and checked my email and saw > there was one from Skipper Bob. The evening before, I had sent him my > latest batch of updates for the New York Canals book. The email was a > short thank you note from Bob, time-stamped exactly 8 AM that morning. I > could picture Bob sitting at his desk, probably looking forward to doing > some editing on the books that morning. > > It turned out sending me that email was the last thing Bob did ... and then > he slumped to the floor and died. The email remained on his screen > afterwards. > > Bob is a great guy. He wrote the Skipper Bob books to asist the long > distance cruisers, and with the help of his wife Elaine Reib, he did a > mighty fine job. > > I first saw a copy of the New York Canals book, on my first visit up here > in 2003. I was amazed how it contained absolutely everything I needed to > know for my cruise, and I got my own copy the first chance I had. Kathy > and I spend many days planning our future trips with the Skipper Bob book > open as the ultimate reference. It wasn't very wordy, but it was concise > and to the point, the perfect cruiser's helm reference. I loved the book, > so I contacted Bob and started helping with it. > > Since about 2004, I had been sending Bob all kinds of updates and > corrections, so that the book might be correct and complete and benefit > future boaters, as it had done for me. The books are now continued by Ted > Stehle, who continues Bob's excellent work, and I continue to send Ted > updates for it. Bob is often in my mind as I gather info for the next > updates. > > When Bob died, he left a big gap, but I always talk about Bob in the > present tense as he will always be around. He will live on in the memory > of those who knew him, those who worked with him, and his family. Skipper > Bob is out there on the canals and waterways somewhere even now. You may > not see him on your cruises, but he's out there with you. > > Skipper Bob, December 11th, 2006. May he cruise with us forever. > > Fred Wehner > Tug 44 > > > _______________________________________________ > http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/listinfo/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com > > To modify your Great-Loop subscription options (change email address, > unsubscribe, etc.) go to: http://lists.trawlering.com/mailman/options/great-loop_lists.trawlering.com