having lived on Cayman Brac with his dad(victor llewellyn ritch )dad and his brothers were all destined to go to sea .as louis became a teenager he learned to sail back and forth to booby island sometimes sailing to Jamaca and Miami . at the tender age of 15 Louis gained his seamans certificate sailing as crew on a charter 40ft yacht sailing from the Turks and Casicos. and on to Miami Louis recalled how they took a new captain half way through the journey only to discover the captain was dead recconing this navigation technique took them 100mles off course and finnaly mooring in boco grande Louis would often laugh at his experiences spelling out the words such is life . Louis was ambitious and he progressed rank as he sailed on larger and larger ships often recalling how modern his ship felt when he was givern his own sleeping quarters . Having worked with his uncle(Hugo Ritch) on Cayman Brac boat and ship building , louis had enough skill to become ships carpenter and later on to first mate.Louis sailed many oceans and many ports finally taking his last cargo ship (the Alvin Star ) to the uk louis was on his way to the netherlands but decided to meet up with his brother (Alfred Ritch) they both settled here in wales . Alfred paid the greatest price whilst sailing near christmas island during nuclear testing he received a fatal dose of radiation ,Alfred recalled how one morning they presented themselves on deck to find that the whole ship was covered in dust (today know as fall out ) the captatin told his crew to clear the mess and so the seamen used there boots and brushes to push the dust over board . not too many years later alfred lost his life to cancer and radiation burns . he left a wife and 2 children only 1 seems to have escaped cancer. During those early years louis and alfred recalled many pionering stories of travel and adventure but the one that resonates with me most is of the days when they lived on the Brac and how they would swim in crystal clear waters with many stingray .

having lived on Cayman Brac with his dad(victor llewellyn ritch )dad and his brothers were all destined to go to sea .as louis became a teenager he learned to sail back and forth to booby island sometimes sailing to Jamaca and Miami . at the tender age of 15 Louis gained his seamans certificate sailing as crew on a charter 40ft yacht sailing from the Turks and Casicos. and on to Miami Louis recalled how they took a new captain half way through the journey only to discover the captain was dead recconing this navigation technique took them 100mles off course and finnaly mooring in boco grande Louis would often laugh at his experiences spelling out the words such is life . Louis was ambitious and he progressed rank as he sailed on larger and larger ships often recalling how modern his ship felt when he was givern his own sleeping quarters . Having worked with his uncle(Hugo Ritch) on Cayman Brac boat and ship building , louis had enough skill to become ships carpenter and later on to first mate.Louis sailed many oceans and many ports finally taking his last cargo ship (the Alvin Star ) to the uk louis was on his way to the netherlands but decided to meet up with his brother (Alfred Ritch) they both settled here in wales . Alfred paid the greatest price whilst sailing near christmas island during nuclear testing he received a fatal dose of radiation ,Alfred recalled how one morning they presented themselves on deck to find that the whole ship was covered in dust (today know as fall out ) the captatin told his crew to clear the mess and so the seamen used there boots and brushes to push the dust over board . not too many years later alfred lost his life to cancer and radiation burns . he left a wife and 2 children only 1 seems to have escaped cancer. During those early years louis and alfred recalled many pionering stories of travel and adventure but the one that resonates with me most is of the days when they lived on the Brac and how they would swim in crystal clear waters with many stingray .