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Bob Allen
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Crew
by Bob Allen
Every man's dream - to sail around
the world. This is the story of one man who did it, sailing as crew on
a number of boats. His adventures, misadventures, and insights into exotic
cultures and the diverse personalities he meets along the way make for
a fascinating read.
During his 32,000-mile trip, he survived
a collision, two groundings, numerous storms, and an obsessive-compulsive
captain.
Despite the hardships, this book is a celebration
of the diversity of this planet and its people. The author succeeds
brilliantly in sharing his experiences with the ocean and its creature,
from scuba diving with a manta ray on the Great Barrier Reef to his encounter
with a school of dolphins numbering in the hundreds.
Ashore, Allen recounts the visits
with the Kuna Indians of Panama, a feast in Tonga, visits to the Buddhist
Temples of Sri Lanka, and the magical majesty of Rhodes.
This epic adventure will leave the
reader with a sense of wonder.
About the Author
Robert Lloyd Allen Jr. was born on the
first of June, 1953 in Pensacola Florida. Son of a Marine Corps pilot
and his wife, Bob moved frequently, living in Florida, California, North
Carolina, Alabama, and Alaska by the time he was 11. While living in Alaska,
his father was killed in a helicopter crash. The family moved back to
Florida where Bob attended high school and college, graduating in 1975
with a degree in Biological Sciences from Florida State University.
During college, Bob married the former
Teresa MacFarlane of Jacksonville. Their first son, Brian was born two
months after graduation and Bob joined the Navy a month later. Three years
later, the Allen family grew again with the birth of their second son,
Matt.
The next 22 years saw the
Allen family living in Rhode Island, Florida, Massachusetts, California,
Guam, and Mississippi. Bob earned two Master’s Degrees along the way;
an MS in Meteorology and Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School,
and an MS in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War
College. His assignments included four years aboard a frigate, a tour as
a Typhoon Forecaster, Tactical Action Officer in the Gulf of Sidra, and
Wargaming at the Naval War College.
In 1990, Bob was assigned
to Stennis Space Center. He and his family liked the area so much that
they settled here with Bob taking multiple assignments at Stennis and
one at Keesler AFB in order to remain in the area.
Upon his retirement from
the Navy in 1997, Bob set out to fulfill a childhood dream by sailing
around the world. He completed his circumnavigation in February, 2001 and
wrote a book, “Crew”, about his experiences on the trip.
Bob is currently involved
in restoring an old trimaran he bought in Florida. His wife, Teresa,
is the Assistant Principal at Pass Christian High School. Brian graduated
from Florida State University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and
now works at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. Matt is a senior at Mississippi
State.
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