December 2023 Circumbits
Yale Club
December: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Best wishes to all for a joyful holiday season

Circumnavigators, wherever in the world you live, enjoy December with its beauty, hope and friendship. 


Coming Soon

The UK Chapter is just a couple of weeks away from holding its annual dinner event at the House of Lords, hosted by Circumnavigator Lord Richard Faulkner. Sold out again this year, more than 40 Circumnavigators and guests will attend this festive event.

House of Lords

Chapter Highlights

Naples Chapter
New President Pam Girtman with Tina Nicholson, and Tim Gunderman and Roger Baker

Naples Chapter held its first meeting of the season at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club.  Eighty-eight members, and guests attended to hear an excellent program on Malta given by Circumnavigator Roger Baker.  In attendance was the Chapter’s own Knight of Malta – Tim Gunderman, who added some comments regarding the honorable Organization of the Knights of Malta. The event also saw a changing of the guard with President Tina Nicholson passing the gavel to new President Pam Girtman. Tina served in her role with distinguished service for six years.

Washington DC Chapter

DC Chapter held its annual joint meeting with the Explorers Club’s Washington team at the Cosmos Club. Chapter President Jason Chang reports, “It was a wonderful meeting sharing travel stories and learning about the important issue of space debris in orbit from Dr. Mark Skinner. We look forward to our continued collaboration and will plan shared events such as the polo match in 2024.” 


Circumnavigator Sally Cole (Palm Beach Chapter) and husband Larry circumnavigated Mallorca on the annual CCA (Cruising Club of America) Rendezvous. There were about 100 people on 15 boats on the 12-day voyage around the island. Overnight stops included Sa Rapito, Alcudia Bay, Sant Vincenc, Soller, Port Antratx, and Palma. They were guests of CCA Commodore Chris Otorowski and wife Shawn onboard their gorgeous Swan 68’ Aphrodite.

The Coles

Circumnavigator Steve Fuller (At Large) is a legendary marathoner. He has run numerous marathons on all seven continents. Now he has completed a four-country marathon event in Asia—Kyrgyzstan,Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. He says the one-week event was fascinating. He was joined by his wife, Circumnavigator Henna.

The Fullers

Circumnavigators Lion & Donna Curran (New York Metro) stopped for a coconut on Princess Margaret Beach on Bequia Island in the Grenadines.

The Currans

Circumnavigators Norm & Susan Dailey (Washington DC Chapter) stopped in Coron, Philippines. It was one stop on a Windstar cruise from Hong Kong to Cairns, Australia. They have “collected” four new countries on their 6th circumnavigation.

The Daileys

Circumnavigator Michael Lawler (Pacific Southwest Chapter) and his wife Barbara are off on an eight-month cruise on their 47 ft. sailboat “Traveler,” cruising now on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, including Baja, and the Sea of Cortez and as far south as Acapulco. They are returning in mid-June. Stay tuned for more info on this adventure.

The Lawlers

Circumnavigator Mark Pross (Washington, DC Chapter) braved gale-force winds while visiting the Neolithic-era Callanish Stones (erected between 2900-2600 BC), which were a focus for ritual activity during the Bronze Age. The standing stones are located on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides Islands of Scotland. After an Arctic polar expedition, Mark and his wife Marty visited the Orkney Islands and Outer Hebrides Islands of Scotland, Ireland, the British Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man, England, Latvia, and Norway.

Mark Pross

Circumnavigators Geoff & Marilyn McGrath (At Large, Virginia) took one of the world’s longest flights, 18 hours from Newark NJ to Singapore. It began their recent trip to Singapore and Dubai. They loved relaxing in Singapore which including feasting on spicy shrimp and red chili crab cakes. Then on to Dubai where they visited the new Museum of the Future and shopped on iconic Al See, a waterfront promenade.

The McGraths

Scuttlebutt

Circumnavigator Paulette Cooper Noble, former president of the Palm Beach Chapter, is an extraordinary person. Aside from her extensive world travels, she survived the holocaust, wrote numerous books and received death threats from Scientologists, a group who she exposed in a book. Now she has written her memoirs—a fascinating account of her life.

The Perils of Paulette

Circumnavigator Bill Ashley (Washington DC Chapter) enjoyed a festive Halloween at the White House where President and Mrs. Biden handed out books and candy to children.

Bill Ashley

The Last Shot

Our favorite holiday cover from a vintage 1929 issue of ‘The LOG’

Do you have a good photo for The Last Shot? Please send to club@circumnavigators.org.

Luck to you!

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David A. Mink
International President
club@circumnavigators.org

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