No, he’s not really the Gorton’s fisherman guy If you find yourself walking your dog around the west end of the Bay Point apartments and you think you see the Gorton’s seafood fisherman walking his dog, not to worry. It’s local Pacific Beach resident Capt. Duane Taylor. Taylor is the real McCoy when it comes to the sea. He’s like Robert Shaw, right out of the epic motion picture “Jaws.” He’s a seasoned, salty, grizzled veteran captain of the sea. And he’s got sea stories from around the world that captivate you, just as Shaw’s character did in the movie. But unlike Shaw, Taylor is the real deal. He and the mighty seas of the world are no stranger to one another. In fact, they have quite a dubious relationship. You see, Taylor was conceived aboard a custom 40-foot schooner named the Jubilo, built by his maternal and paternal grandparents. He was born in 1948 in Santa Monica. His father, Dr. Howard C. Taylor, was a world-class sailor, and Taylor fits right in. For the next 59 years, Taylor has circled the globe so many times he stopped counting. He has been in and out of San Diego, more specifically, Quivera Basin. He has longtime maritime connections with San Diego going back to the 1960s. For most of his life though, Lahaina, Hawaii, was his home port. But when Taylor’s beloved mother Patricia, a famous artist, fell ill, Taylor came back to permanent status here in Pacific Beach. Taylor has been here since November, and has recently purchased a vintage CT 41-foot “pilot house catch” named the Sea Cloud. He will take delivery of this wonderful piece of craftsmanship next month, slip it in Quivera Basin and set sail for Belize, just another port of call for Capt. Duane Taylor, just one of the wonderful people who make up our beautiful seaside town — our Pacific Beach. — Kevin Di Cicco is the owner of Buddy the dog, who is best known for his roles in the long string of “Air Bud” movies and his ball-playing skills showcased on popular television shows.
