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Summerville Couple Gained Lessons from the Ocean on Six-year Voyage

Not many people would sell their homes to go sailing up and down the east coast of the United States and into the Caribbean for six years.  But Heather and Dave Mann, late of Wisconsin and now of Summerville, did just that.   Dave says they did it for the adventure, and they had plenty of those, which Heather recorded in a book about the lessons she learned from the ocean during their voyage aboard their sailboat, the Wild Hair. 

Along the way, they and their sole companion, Dinghy the sailing cat, encountered a vanishing culture in the Chesapeake Bay, a close call with pirates, plus turtles, whales and storms aplenty, as well as the physical hardships of day-to-day sailing.  Heather says the trip changed her, that she's more fearless and confident in dealing with life’s curve balls.   She learned many life lessons from the ocean, which she calls "the great teacher."  People would do well to listen for its voice, she says.

Tut Underwood is producer of South Carolina Focus, a weekly news feature. A native of Alabama, Tut graduated from Auburn University with a BA in Speech Communication. He worked in radio in his hometown before moving to Columbia where he received a Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of South Carolina, and worked for local radio while pursuing his degree. He also worked in television. He was employed as a public information specialist for USC, and became Director of Public Information and Marketing for the South Carolina State Museum. His hobbies include reading, listening to music in a variety of styles and collecting movies and old time radio programs.