Just a Dream and the Wind to Carry Me
When I was 28 years old, my friend Veronica, known to all as Ronnie offered to introduce me to her girlfriend. Because I was already dating someone, I had no interest.
A few weeks later, Ronnie invited me to her apartment for dinner. We had just sat down for a drink, when her doorbell rang. When Ronnie opened the door, a breathtakingly beautiful girl entered. Kitty, I would soon discover, was the very girl I had initially refused to meet. As Ronnie continued to cook, Kitty and I engaged in conversation, which flowed effortlessly between us.
I mentioned my recent purchase of a 23-foot sailboat and my desire to explore the east coast. Kitty smiled, asked many questions, and was fascinated by my answers. Twenty minutes was all it took... and when Kitty left, my exact words to Ronnie were, “I just met the girl I am going to marry!”
Two days later, on our first date, I learned Kitty was also in pursuit of adventure, proving she was everything I had hoped for. We dated exclusively for the next six weeks, until one evening when I said, “We both know it’s going to happen, don’t we?”
Kitty looked at me and asked, “What’s going to happen?”
I replied, “We’re getting married!” Hesitating for just a moment, her confirmation was sealed with a kiss.
In May, four months after meeting, we were married. We honeymooned on the 23-foot O’Day Tempest, the topic of our very first conversation. Sailing from Westport, Connecticut to Martha’s Vineyard and back, I knew I had married the right woman for me.
Two years after we wed, we bought a 30-foot Seawind Ketch and sailed around the world. Four years later, we bought a house and started a family. When our two wonderful boys were nine and eleven, we knew it was the right time to take them out of school and show them the world far beyond Fairfield, Connecticut.
We left in 1987 in our Valiant-40 and sailed across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand, New Guinea, the Soloman Islands, and up the Red Sea. In Egypt, we arrived at the great Pyramids by camel. From there we explored the Mediterranean visiting Turkey and Greece among other countries. Our boys were homeschooled by their parents long before that became a necessity in 2020. When we arrived home, our boys returned to normal classes in the Norwalk School system.
Kitty and I have been married for over 51 years and are constantly amazed at the fantastic life we have had. Always remembering to say “I love you,” I wonder if this is the secret to our successful marriage. It certainly is an aspect as important as our honest and open communication.
Every day of my life, even now during quiet times of self-isolation caused by the COVID pandemic, I am constantly overwhelmed by my deep feelings of love, and my appreciation for the wonderful life Kitty has given me. She always says the feeling is mutual. Thank you, Ronnie, for your keen ability to recognize “a match made in heaven” that could only be realized by your determination to introduce two strangers.
Scott Kuhner and his wife Kitty live in Rowayton, CT, where they raised two sons, Alex and Spencer. Scott worked as a Security Analyst on Wall Street before he and Kitty embarked on a four year sailboat trip around the world. Years later they took a second four year trip with their sons. Today Scott is retired and spends his winters on his boat in the Bahamas and summers in CT
Did you know it's bad luck to set sail on a Monday? Check out this and other fun facts and superstitions about sailing here.