After spending two years in the military, he started a career working first for Westinghouse Electric Company at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho and then for EG&G Idaho, Inc. at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory.
In 1988, he and his wife, Sue, decided that it was time for a change from the cold Idaho winters and began looking for a steel hulled sailboat. Their search led them to Ft. Lauderdale where they found a neglected but sturdy cutter. They spent the next six years rebuilding Northern Cross in North Carolina while homeschooling their son, Ryan, and doing part time engineering and computer consulting work.
Northern Cross, crewed by Chuck, Sue, Ryan, and Chuck's son Shane, left North Carolina in June of 1995, sailing to St. Thomas via Bermuda. After a short stay they moved to the south coast of Puerto Rico to wait out the hurricane season. They have since returned and Chuck is temporarily working for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while they prepare to continue cruising in the Caribbean.
Chuck (N7KDB), Sue (N7KDC), and Ryan (KB7TDH) are all amateur radio operators and keep in radio contact with family and friends back home.