Sailing Vessel Southern
Cross, the first Dickerson 41 ketch, and only wood hull
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Meet D and Don:
Dierdre E. Atkinson Wogaman, a. k. a. D
Born at Fort Belvoir, Virginia in 1953. We moved from Falls Church, Virginia to Doylestown, Pennsylvania when my Dad got a new job in 1960. I graduated from Doylestown Elementary school, attended Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, PA and then graduated from Central Bucks East High school. Received an Associates degree in Fine Arts from Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania. I spent nine years driving eighteen wheelers, pulling dump trailers, dry freight boxes, and tankers for both myself and several different companies . I moved to Columbus, Ohio when I got a
job transfer from Shell Oil Company to Shell Pipe Line Corporation. During the
last five years of my oil career I worked for BP Oil Pipeline. In
Columbus, I started a rental/rehab business with two partners and then later
obtained my Ohio Real Estate license. That meant, that while I worked for
the oil companies I worked part time for Century 21. I've been a
life long big time horse person (trail rider, dressage, event, hunter...),
certified scuba diver (since 1970), water skier, snow skier, sky diver (only six
times), ardent traveler (have b Finally, in 1992 met my life partner, Don. He was convinced I would be a good person to go cruising with, then proceeded to convince me! His impeccably honest ways, his kindness to animals and people, brains, patience, articulation, common sense, and his general fairness won my heart over. So, in 1995 we got married. I am so glad that I waited to get marrried to my partner, my sweetheart, Don. Soon, we will be a sailing as a full time cruisers!
Donald R. Wogaman, a. k. a. Don Some call me a perfectionist. I prefer to believe that I am only interested in the best available solution; simple, elegant and complete. Life has taught me that the longer I delay the execution, by thinking about the possibilities, the better the solution. And the greater is my pleasure in the result. Life has also taught me where to cut corners... Born in Dayton, Ohio in 1946 while my parents lived in Lewisburg, Ohio. Small town boy, moved to Brookville, Ohio and graduated high school from there. Lifelong techie, as a youth spent evenings and weekends with my father, flight instructor and aircraft mechanic at the local grass strip airport, learning about "stuff." He taught me aerodynamics, and to wood and metal work, and we did lots of tinkering together. Learned to cook and camp as a Boy Scout, was a troop leader and elected Order of the Arrow but never got beyond First Class (a chronic under achiever). Attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, met Pat and married, remaining in Athens until our divorce in 1989. Graduated from O. U., after nine years, with a BS in Industrial Technology, working for the university at the time. Became a Coal Miner (my heroes, USA coal miners are the safest and most productive on earth, and fundamental contributors towards our nation's wealth...) and had a wonderful 27 year career of advanced tinkering with underground equipment. Retired in 2001.
My partner and lover is a practical, gregarious, kind and adventurous dynamo. Her radiant smile is genuine, and generously given. She craves people contacts and makes friends by the dozens (hundreds, even). D is ready to try anything new, except for spicy hot foods. She attacks her work at full speed, and attempts to cram a short lifetime in to every single day. D moves ahead boldly in to uncharted territory, confident and fearless. Her reaction to physical and emotional hurts is immediate and loud, but she recovers and goes on. I love her passionately, and am giddy with thoughts of the next adventure, as we share the rest of our lives together. Both of Us: Are United States Power Squadron members, of Columbus and Port Clinton, Ohio Squadrons. We are Advanced Pilots, and have completed the Sailing, Weather, Engine Maintenance, and Electronics elective courses. Don has nearly completed the Junior Navigation course, which teaches celestial navigation and offshore plotting (very different from coastal chart work, and necessary even when using GPS rather than a sextant). If you boat, or are planning to cruise, this organization will teach you skills from basic boating to advanced voyaging. Check them out, and find a squadron near you.
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My
parents wanted something different (hence my name) and they got it with
me. In spades! I'm afraid that life is way too short for me to get
everything done that I want to get done, so I try to cram as much as I can into
each and every day. I do look at the bright side and try to brighten
everyone's day that I come in contact with. 
een to Jamaica, Mexico, Tahiti, Australia, New
Zealand, and England and those are all places that I have visited before I met
Don!), amateur photographer, like to read, cook, drink good wine, eat good
food and try new things!
Along the way, earned a
Masters in Business and became a Professional Engineer. Dabbled in sports
cars, owned dirt and street motorcycles, built a house, became interested in cruising under sail in 1980 and thoroughly
hooked during a British Virgin Islands charter in 1982. Lover of jazz, blues, and most
other types of music, good food and drink, especially micro brews, travel, books, and thanks to D,
horseback riding and scuba diving. Student of boat building and design, human behavior,
history, geography, and
whatever else strikes my fancy. Married D in 1995 after telling her about my cruising
dreams. During a phone conversation where I was explaining to D that people live
aboard boats instead of owning a house, and travel where they choose, there was a
long silence. D says "But what about your friends?" I, inspired, "You will be in Paradise, with a spare
bedroom." It was the right answer!