Mariner's Ministries is a church founded by me, Shy David. The plan was to perform weddings and burials at sea (usually in that order). It was to be, however, both a secular and multi-sectarian affair: while I myself am Pagan (specifically Wiccan, i.e. one form of Neo-Paganism), I am happy and willing to perform any and all religious and secular ceremonies. The Ministry is strictly eleemosynary: that is, I was going to perform weddings and burials for free. (Well, I would have charged a small fee for fuel for the boat (if I used mine), or the fee to charter one if a larger boat was required.) Or I should say, I was going to perform weddings and burials for the fun of it. Got a sweet gal yer just a'hankerin' to wed? Got a dead body you want deep-sixed? Mariner's Ministries was to be the place where you could do both, on the briny blue.

I will soon be licensed by the United States Coast Guard to carry six passengers on charter (six not counting the deceased, during burials). That's not the problem. The problem is, I sold my boat, Myste. I had just been laid off from work, and there was no more money comming in, and I couldn't afford to keep her.

Damn hard having a marine Ministry without a boat. (Heavy Sigh). But I'm working on it.

In the mean time, Mariner's Ministries publishes a huge amout of literature about religious and a-religious issues. A small fraction of this material will be posted here in these web site pages. I still go boatings, and still slip a body over the side now and then when no one's looking, but that part of the Ministry will have to wait until I have a sound vessel again.

Web page links for Mariner's Ministries have the symbol in front of them. I took this photograph while tied up at Balboa Yacht Club, Panama, with a very poor Cannon idiot-proof camera.

And who is Shy David? A disgustingly average schmuck. Ugly, too, as you can see for yourself.

Me, tying up at Cabo San Lucas and locking the dinghy to the dock. (Dinghys have a way of floating away if left untended.) I have worked boat deliveries here and there, moving boats around for their owners. When a boat's owner wants to cruise in one location during the summer, and in another location during the winter, she or he (usually a he) may hire someone to move the boat for her or him. Once the boat is in the preferred location, the owner takes a plane there and goes cruising. This can be lots of fun for the person or people who deliver the boat: usually the owner pays for food, the plane ticket back, and various fees / repair bills / medical bills. My previous delivery was from Seattle (Washington) to Miami (Florida), via the Panama Canal. We never quite made it to our destination, though: intense tropical storms kept up pinned down at Grand Cayman Island. Some day I'll have to fly back and move the boat the rest of the distance. It's a tough job (smirk!) but someone has to do it.

And me again, trying out my new guitar, wearing a Dragonfest Tee-shirt. Funny-looking, ain't I? My hair was gray since I was eighteen or nineteen years old. My face is usually sun-burned six or seven months out of the year, which adds to the depressing sight. Thank Goddess you can't see the nose hair! I'm a mutt, like most USA Americans--- my ancestors were from every part of the globe (except France, I hope (that's a joke)). But then, all peoples on Earth are, of course, family. Lots of women (their name is Legion) claim I'm attractive. They're liars.

Me again, on Star of India, where they handed a bitter end to me and ordered me to pull. A real no brainer job--- a task well-suited to me! I wear swimming shorts 12 months a year (i.e. never wear anything else), except for the few times I have to actually work for a living in an office. I hate clothing---- what a stupid invention! Even animal hides would be an improvement over polyester and nylon (I do have a rabbit-skin loin cloth). But I figure I have to make the best of it, and wearing shorts is better than pants.

At the moment I'm unemployed. I have no money, and I live off my good looks. I was reciently laid off my job that I had held at a multi-national heath care business for over 12 years--- this was much like losing ones' family all at once, but I'm tough. I'm a computer programmer, operator, and mechanic. I've AS/400 training, and knowledge of Computer Associate's Pansophic softwear. I do ODBC, Visual BASIC stuff, Microsoft Access Data Base programming, and local area networking. I can also run a turret lathe and end mill. My current address is 33N27.799 117W39.255 and I live at 491 feet elevation.

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