RICK FLOYD 1947-2015

Last year on my nearly month-long Caribbean cruise aboard Lakota, I made a life long friend. Unfortunately for everyone that knew him, that life was not nearly long enough.

Rick Floyd died of heart failure 4 days after undergoing gastric bypass surgery in Raleigh.  I spoke to him on the phone the day after the surgery and he sounded anxious to resume making plans for his upcoming retirement in June.

Rick was a big man.  Not tall but built like a bear.  A gentle bear. He had an infectious laugh and a desire to make others laugh with him.

Not unlike me, he had a treasure chest of stories that he liked to share.  We swapped stories for hours on end during that voyage.  At one point we agreed to hold up two fingers if one of us was repeating a story.  Sometimes he would smile and hold up four fingers.  Well, spending everyday together for nearly a month does lead to repetition. Not that we didn't have more stories, it's just hard to remember which ones we already told.

Rick saved our bacon off the island of Guadeloupe when we got blind sided by a 50-60 knot winds roaring out of a valley.  I sincerely believe we owe him our lives for how he manned the helm that day.

On our return home, Rick and I stayed in touch weekly by phone and would meet for dinner every time I came down to Oriental.  He lived in Clayton and worked for the State on a 4 day a week job. He spent every weekend aboard his 42' Beneteau, docked at Pecan Grove, in Oriental.  He loved taking friends to Cape Lookout for the weekend.

Rick was outfitting his boat in preparation for his retirement. He had a water maker installed in January and followed that up with a freezer in the Spring. Solor panels were the next order of business.

Plans were to head North for a couple of months then come about and head for the Caribbean.  He had a 100 ton captain's license and was considering an offer to captain charters in the BVI for some extra money.

I looked forward to joining him from time to time when the Admiral granted me a temporary leave of absence.

Being a big man, Rick's health was always an issue.  Even though he rarely ate big meals, he couldn't lose the weight he needed to improve his health.  He had diabetes and a bad knee which were exacerbated by his bulk. He decided that gastric bypass surgery would help get him on the road to a more healthy life style.

It was a gamble that he wasn't destined to win.  His big heart wasn't up to the task. His passing was a shock to all that knew and loved him.

His memorial service was the most heart wrenching event that I have ever attended.  As much as I wanted to step up and tell everyone what this man meant to me, I knew that I could never get the words out.

We miss you Rick.  You will always be in our hearts.  Sail on Old Friend.

 Fair winds and smooth seas

Enjoy a cheeseburger in Paradise