BEHAN & JAMIE GIFFORD, Family Cruisers
Who is Your Hero?The Gifford family has been at sea with their 3 young children since 2008. They have navigated from Washington State through Mexico to Australia, then from Papua New Guinea to Malaysia, where they are currently. They give cruisers a good name and have encouraged many couples and families, such as ours, to buy a boat and get out there.
How has your Nominees efforts made a difference for the better?
The Giffords have inspired countless families such as mine to get a boat, take time out of the hurley-burly and go cruise for a year or maybe longer. We will be getting our boating 2014, and the confidence in doing that can be attributed in a major way to the Giffords. Their stories of encounters with other cruisers and with different cultures at their vaarious moorings, demonstrate their compassion, wit, love for family and the importance of being great cruiser ambassadors . Whether it is Jamie setting up an impromptu sewing repair station on a beach in Malaysia for the local residents, or Behan’s finesse when working with local officials to be sure that everyone parts with highest regard for each other, they are leaving lasting impressions that will benefit all cruisers who follow in their wake. They make the dream obtainable, and have encouraged many of us to become cruisers ourselves.
How will being recognized as a YachtWorld Hero further your nominee’s cause?
To allow them to come in contact with many more people over the next year and continue to promote cruising.
Please share any website or online articles about your nominee’s activities.
Sailing with Totem – A Families Nomadic Journey
Facebook.com/sailingtotem
The Gifford family was nominated by Cheryl Tilly of Sedalia, Colorado, in the Joy of Boating category.
