Gloucester Daily Times
- August 16, 2003
Celebrity Sails in...
He may well known
for his political writing - even for his Blackford Oakes spy novels - but
syndicated columnist William F. Buckley Jr. has also published books on the
subject of sailing over the years.
This past week,
he put that knowledge to good use and sailed his ship, the "Patito", into
Rockport Harbor so that he and his fellow travelers could spend Tuesday night
docked at the Sandy Bay Yacht Club.
"He came in
Tuesday afternoon in the fog," said yacht club manager Ron Petoff. "They were
looking for a place to hang out for the night, so they came here."
Not only was
Buckley the founder of the National Review and its editor-in-chief until 1990,
but he has been the longtime host of the weekly television debate program
"Firing Line" and his columns have appeared in over 300 newspapers.
Petoff, who said
that Buckley was probably just stopping through on his way to another
destination, even got the chance to talk with the well-known figure.
"We just talked
about sailing and fun stuff," Petoff said. "I left the politics out of it."
Buckley's visit
comes about five months after the club was used as a headquarters for some of
the filming of "Stuck on You," the upcoming Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear comedy.
Still, said
Petoff, not too many celebrities tend to come by the club, and even when they
do, he tries to give them their space.
"I'm always
interested to meet any kind of celebrity, but I also try to keep my distance and
let people have their privacy and peace of mind," he said. "I figure that they
get harangued enough by everyone else."
Charlie Clark & Bill
Buckley |
Gus, Olaf, Richard & Max
Aprans with Bill Buckley |
Jake Fiumara, Bill Buckley &
Ron Petoff |
