Norman Owens:  

Life After graduation I tried Stockton College, but didn't try hard enough. I moved to Monterey and took some night courses. Then back to Stockton and a job at Safeway. It was a good job, but it didn't look like a good future. So, I joined the Navy for a six year program in Nuclear Engineering. I served on 3 submarines as a Nuclear Reactor Operator and Electronics Technician. I married and had one beautiful daughter, Stacy. While in Conneticut I learned to sail and bought my first sailboat in 1964. On discharge I went to Vallejo and joined the Nuclear Engineering Dept at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Divorced and remarried, I have two more beautiful daughters, Kerrie and Kelley. In 1983 Barbara and I married. She has two beautiful daughters, Teresa and Deborah. So I have 5 daughters, and love them all. I have served as President of the Vallejo JayCees and Commodore of Vallejo Yacht Club. I have 49 years in the Yacht Club and have become a life member. I have an amateur Extra Radio License (HAM Radio)(callsign AD6SI) and USCG Masters (Captain's) License. We traveled to Europe several times, 22 days in UK, Amsterdam, and France, and 21 days in Italy (where we met Walter Chronkite and his wife Betsy) Raced sailboats in the bay and ocean. In the early 80s, I raced the Stockton Sailing Clubs race to the South tower of the Golden Gate Bridge. In 81 we got first in our division. I liked sailing in the ocean so accepted delivery positions to Hawaii, and back, up to Whidby Island in Washington, and San Diego. When the base closure commission selected Mare Island for closure I retired (Feb, 94). We finished some remodel jobs on the house, and prepared our 32' sailboat for ocean cruising. In Dec 1994 we left SF Bay and headed south. We cruised Mexico on ...Expand for more