Charles Dougherty was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. After a varied career as a corporate executive, laborer, lawyer, entrepreneur, salesman, and management consultant, he retired, sort of, and moved aboard his sailboat with his wife in 2000. He has been cruising in the Caribbean since 2004, where he spends his time reading, working on the boat, writing, working on the boat, foraging, and working on the boat.