KPBS Midday Edition

San Diego Author Shares Stories Of 15 Years Of Adventures On The High Seas

By Maureen Cavanaugh / KPBS Midday Edition Co-Host, John Carroll / General Assignment Reporter & Anchor

Published October 14, 2019 at 11:15 AM PDT

This story was published more than 5 years ago.

The cover of the new book "Moana" by San Diego boat builder and author Lew Maurer.

San Diego Author Shares Stories Of 15 Years Of Adventures On The High Seas

A boat builder was approached to build a custom catamaran for a wealthy Belgian man and his family and it turned into a 15-plus-year adventure that spans 118,000 miles to some of the remotest places on the planet.

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In 1998, San Diego boat builder, Lew Maurer, got a very special commission. A wealthy Belgian businessman retained Maurer to build a unique luxury catamaran. The 80-foot vessel was designed to carry the Belgian father and his young family on trips around the world to some of the remotest places on earth.

The boat, called Moana, launched in 2000. Maurer has just written a book about the Moana and the adventures of the family and crew who sailed on her.

Maurer joined Midday Edition on Monday to talk about some of the highlights and some frightening moments from the journeys. He related how rewarding it was to watch the children grow up over the years. Maurer shared the story of why the boat didn't sell after the family adventures were over and the new life Moana has now as she sets sail on new adventures.

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Maurer will also be speaking about his adventures on Wednesday at a meeting of the La Jolla Photo Travelers Club being held at 7:30 p.m. at the Wesley Palms San Diego Retirement Community.

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Maureen Cavanaugh has been a familiar voice for KPBS listeners for more than 15 years, serving in a variety of capacities including announcer, host, and producer. As host of KPBS Midday Edition, Maureen has interviewed a wide range of notables, such as comedienne Sandra Bernhardt, actor John Lequizamo, author Chuck Palahniuk, composer Marvin Hamlisch, artist Robert Irwin, and designer Zandra Rhodes. But of all the interviews Maureen has conducted, her most special was with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama. Before joining KPBS in 1997, she worked as a news anchor for KSDO and KOGO News Radio in San Diego. While working for commercial radio stations in San Diego and in Salt Lake City, Utah, Maureen reported on both hard news and lifestyle features. Maureen has received three "Golden Mike" awards from the Radio and TV News Association of Southern California for economic reporting and breaking news. She has also received a "Best of Show" and “Best Radio Newscast” awards from the San Diego Press Club and the "Flo" Award from Public Radio Program Directors Association for Best Public Radio Announcer in a large market. Maureen is a native of Queens, New York, but after more than 20 years in San Diego she feels she qualifies as a real Southern Californian.

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John Carroll

John Carroll is a general assignment reporter and anchor at KPBS. He loves coming up with story ideas that are not being covered elsewhere, but he’s also ready to cover the breaking news of the day.

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