Ladd and Denise have been "live-a-board" cruisers for four years on their beautiful 46 foot Bennateau, Blue.
Ladd is also a pilot and flew all kinds of private planes and jets. (He has a lot of great stories to go with his long career. ) He also has strong opinions about how our country is run and not afraid to tell you he carries guns when he travels. He also is easygoing and wants everyone around him to feel as ease. Jon says that he is easily one of the most interesting persons he has met.
Denise is also a pilot and flew Ultralights. She is the navigator for their trips. She also was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and has some really cool stories..my favorite was that one of her friends was a promotor and ask Denise to pick up the band from the hotel and bring a to the venue. She parked in the front of the hotel and these crazy dressed guys and a girl got into her Toyota. They had painted faces and spiked platform boots. She was scared to death.,but took them anyway..later she finds out she picked up the band KISS. She is smart, sweet and funny.
This interview was done via phone, each separately and on separate days as we never seemed to get around to it when we are all together.
Q1. How old were you when you decided you wanted to live on a boat?
Denise: "I started thinking about it seriously when I was about 50 years old. We had wanted to cruise to different areas part-time. We had a house in Ft Lauderdale and a boat and no children at home. We realized we couldn't afford to have a house, a boat and still cruise. So if we wanted to keep the boat and cruise, we had to sell the house. I was 54 when we moved on the boat and cruised full-time. "
Ladd; "About 20 years old. It was the first time I really got to know boats. I started sailing."
Q2. What has been the most exciting thing that's happened since you been boating?
Denise: "Fun thing? There are a bunch of little moments-can't think of one blow out."
Ladd: "Probably winning the Abeco Regatta. Out of 83 sail boats, we one First Overall."
Q3. Where is your favorite place that you traveled to...so far?
Denise: "I have two. One is the Berry Islands, can't think of the anchorage but we stayed there for several days. The water there is amazing. The anchorage was set back by yourself by a little island. We snorkeled right off the boat. It was just perfect. Martha's Vinyard is the other because it is a beautiful island. It has so many large towns that you can access. They have old Victorian homes and cottages. It's a step back in time. Gives you the 'old' feeling, like you would imagine it was."
Ladd: "The Bahamas! The Abbacos and the Berry Islands. The water is clear and wonderful and warm...it's a different world."
Q4. What is the scarest thing or the hardest thing since you been boating?
Denise: "It was one of those things where you spent a month getting the boat ready and look for a good weather window. We had a good weather window and set off 125 miles off the Atlantic coast from Ft Lauderdale to Beaufort, NC. A 'super storm' blew up off the coast of Charleston, SC. It was dark and the dodger windows blew out and waves were coming over the bow directly into the cockpit. We couldn't see a thing and I was worried that the boat was going to break apart. Yeah, that was the scarest thing. ".
Ladd: "The scarest..the storm off Charleston...had dry mouth for a few hours. The winds were 40 to 60 knots. The waves..well it was pitch black..12 feet waves and they were breaking..they stood straight up. We made it from Ft Lauderdale to Beaufort, NC in 92 hours, that's over 700 miles. During the storm in the middle of the night, something hit me so hard in the middle of my chest that it almost knocked me off the steering wheel...it was as hard as someone punching me in the chest. It was dark and it wasn't until morning that we found a two foot fish on the cockpit floor. It must have came out of one of those waves."
Q5. What is one thing you really don't like to do but have to do since you've been living on a boat?
Denise: "Waxing the boat when it's really hot".
Ladd; "Cleaning the bottom of the boat. I'm underwater for a couple hours..I love to snorkel but it's dark under there and it's hard work. I have the air pump and wet suit and I just do it."
Q6. What is an important relationship you made due to this lifestyle?
Denise: "Friends like Terry and Suzanne that we met in 2012 in Norfolk during hurricane Sandy. We traveled all the way to Ft Laydrdale with them. We keep in touch with them often. And of course there is you and Jon who Terry and Suzanne introduced to us in 2013. They knew you were in Cape May and we were going to be in Cape May, NJ. Via telephone they hooked us up. It was good to travel with you and we like to keep in contact and get together when ever we can. My daughter doesn't know you but she knows you by how much I tell her about you."
Ladd: "Well we have so many friends from our sailing club that we've been part of for six years. We've spent a lot of time with them..like minded sailors. Now we like to hang out with like minded cruising sailors. Terry and Suzzane are a blast and you two. You know easy going, no big thing (no rush) to get there tomorrow..the next day comes, we got time."
Q7. Name one thing that you miss from being a "landlubber".
Denise: "HBO. They have all the good and upcoming shows".
Ladd: "Probably my vehicles- my Dodge truck, my motorcycles and the motor home a little bit."
(Warning next question contains adult content)
Q8. What is your favorite boating swear word? (In honor of James Lipton
Denise: "...trying to think which one I use the most...F--k It!"
Ladd: "Probably, Shit."
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