For 28 years, he has steadfastly piloted the ferry through all kinds of weather between the Isle of Palms and Dewees Island. He drives school children to school in the dark hours of early morning, and partygoers home in the late evening hours. He has been the first cheery smile of vacation for second homeowners, and the steady presence ferrying full-timers to work, groceries and choir practice, golf games and vacations. He is the island employee who has been here the longest. And now Captain Rick is getting ready to hang up his foul weather gear and retire.
SSh. It's a surprise! Send us your thought and well wishes
The exact date of his retirement has not been made public yet, but we know we don’t have all that long to pull something together. (Yes, we’ll keep you posted here!). Since Rick has been such an institution around here, we are putting together a memory book with photos and thoughts from well wishers. Already this is getting to be a big project, and I don’t want to miss anyone, so if you have a memory to share, you can submit it at this form here.
Add to the Memory Book: Please submit by February 5 (Plan A)
The best way of submitting things is this google form, and you’ll need a google account (gmail or google docs ID~ it’s easy to create). This means that all info you submit goes into a database that I can check off when I put them in the memory book. This will be the most reliable method~ I’ve already gotten info through Messenger, Text and email, and I don’t want to miss anything. Use this form, please…
Submit pics: Plan B (Really, use plan A above)
If you are solidly determined not to get a google account, you can add photos to smugmug. When you upload a photo with this link, you’re giving us permission to use it: in a memory book for Captain Rick, in a slideshow at a retirement event if we can gather in person, in a youtube video retrospective. I will have no way of knowing who sent which photos though, so you’ll need to be comfortable with no credit.
Participate in Retirement Gift
If you want to donate toward a retirement gift, email Shelley Cooper, POA President, for the most efficient way to do that.
A little more about Captain Rick
One of my favorite things is his joy in sharing nature moments with passengers. He slows for dolphin shows and watches for manatees and sea turtles. He’s there for lunar eclipses, rocket launches and shooting stars. He has participated in halloween celebrations and decorated the marina cat, has come up with clever ways to transport flowers. Here are some more stories from this blog that feature Captain Rick: