Sailing

The United States Sailboat Show

On 9 October, we made a wonderful discovery that began one of our more important recent traditions, the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland.  There is a smaller show in the spring, the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show, and while both are great, the fall Sailboat Show (as it is known) is the largest in-water boat show in the United States, and one of the largest in the world. The show also has a wide variety of vendors, selling everything from sails and biminis, to winches and engines, and also aggressively marketing marinas and sailing schools.

The show lasts four days (the VIP day is on Thursday, and while tickets for this first day of the show cost more, the crowds are far less and it is definitely worth the price of admission).  At this show, we started thinking seriously about buying a boat. Thinking; just thinking, because while the Sailboat Show gives attendees a tremendous overview of the wide range of boats available, and the various manufacturers, it is also dissuasive because of the prices.  These boats are the newest boats on the market, and the floating docks for the Sailboat Show are their showroom.  You can climb aboard all the boats, stand at the helm, go down below to the cabin, or relax on deck.  Essentially, you are "kicking the tires" of these new vessels.  The show also gives participants an opportunity to explore the differences between catamarans (and other "multihulls") and monohulls (the more traditional form of sailing vessel, with one hull vs. the two hulls of a catamaran or the three of a trimaran).  While we love the space, and luxurious functionality of multihulls (my son SMC sat on the flybridge of one with his feet up, kicked back against the cushions and exclaimed, "I like this" (he hasn't repeated this sentiment so vociferously since - smile), we are traditionalist.  We love the clean classic lines, stability, and maneuverability of monohulls. 

Unfortunately, the prices of these new boats are overwhelming, especially the multihulls (yes, that is another reason we see ourselves as monohull people - smile).  When people see these prices, it fosters the idea that sailing is super expensive, and only for the wealthy.  Even in the "Brokerage Cove," where the Sailboat Show offers used boats for sail, boats are very expensive.  The boat above, was a beautiful 1980 Sabre 28 MK II.  It was described as "A Gentleman's little Yacht."  This stunning boat really caught our eye, but at $27,000 we knew this would be a long way off for us.

In addition to the show, there are workshops, both free and relatively expensive.  The free seminars are hosted by a variety of groups, including the magazines Spin Sheet, Chesapeake Bay, and Cruising world; along with the Annapolis School of Seamanship.  The paid seminars are part of what is called "Cruisers University" and requires advance registration, and usually sell out.

While at the show, we met a wonderful couple, Tim and Julie, relative newlyweds who were also contemplating the cruising life.  We were all standing at the dinghy dock for "Ego Alley" as the long strip of water at City Dock in Annapolis is known, looking out over huge catamarans and monohull sailboats.  Tim and Julie have become our closest sailing couple, as they invited us to sail on their Seidelman 30, and we have spent wonderful time together off the water as well, golfing and enjoying good food.

http://www.derrickcogburn.com/arcadia-adventures/2016/2/16/the-united-states-sailboat-show The United States Sailboat Show

Time to Train - Annapolis Sailing School

After my experience on the Woodwind, I was hooked, and started reading as much as I could get my hands on about sailing. I couldn't think of much else except gaining formal sailing training. I was able book a weekend training course for Noemi and me at the Annapolis Sailing School, in Annapolis, Maryland. The Sailing School, as we refer to her, is one of the oldest schools for teaching sailing to the public in the world and offers a wide variety of courses at beginning, intermediate and advanced skill levels. We took their Basic Keelboat course on one weekend, which included four sessions of classroom training and theory, and four on-the-water sessions sailing on the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay with an eccentric instructor using Rainbow 24 keelboats (the same boats used at one point to train Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy).  Another couple started the course with us, but they bailed out after the first day on the water, so Noemi and I essentially had private lessons on the second day.  On that second day, Noemí and I met Yaya, an alumnus of the School taking advantage of an opportunity offered by the School called the Keelboat Club.  Membership in the Keelboat Club offers free, unlimited use of a Rainbow for a full year. Yaya has become one of our closest sailing friends, and we look forward to many future adventures with him and his family.

Another wonderful aspect of the Annapolis Sailing School is for the first week after successfully completing a course with them, students may take out a Rainbiw for free to practice. Thereafter, alumni of their program receive a lifetime discount on full-day or half-day rentals.  We took advantage of this feature, and tried to get as much practice as we could, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay as a family (introducing our six-year old son to the sport) and sailing with Yaya.

http://www.derrickcogburn.com/arcadia-adventures/2016/2/15/time-to-train-annapolis-sailing-school Time to Train - Annapolis Sailing School

Sailing the Schooner Woodwind

The next major leg on our fantastic voyage couldn't have happened in a better place.  In 2009 we moved from Syracuse, New York to the Washington, D.C. area (Bethesda, MD).  Maryland is home to the self-proclaimed Sailing Capital of the World - Annapolis, Maryland.  Noemi booked us on an evening cruise on the Schooner Woodwind.  The Woodwind, which was featured in the movie The Wedding Crashers, allows guests to do as much (or as little) work crewing the boat as desired during your passage. I took advantage of this opportunity, and worked like an honorable crew member, hoisting the huge mainsail, and taking as much time as I could at the helm, especially as we went under the Bay Bridge, close hauled, for the first time in my life.

http://www.derrickcogburn.com/arcadia-adventures/2016/2/15/schooner-woodwind Sailing the Schooner Woodwind

Saugatuck/Douglas and My Chapman

In 2004, several new stimuli accelerated my fantastic voyage. The first stimulus was that I had gotten married in 2003 (I was a professor in the School of Information at the University of Michigan - Go Blue!). My wife Noemi and I lived in Ann Arbor and were interested in exploring our wonderful state of Michigan.   In this exploration, we were amazed by the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, Holland, the Upper Peninsula and the historic Mackinac Island, and its longstanding prohibition against motorized vehicles on the island. While these treats of the state were incredibly interesting, what struck us the most was the tremendous boating life on the Great Lakes (both sailing and power boats).  Clearly, one of the jewels in the crown of Michigan boating are the amazing twin towns of Saugatuck/Douglas.  These two beautiful towns of Saugatuck and Douglas are separated by a little footbridge, and have a spectacular marina.  Noemi and I strolled along the marina smitten by the boats, and dreaming of the possibilities - one day.  As a treat (and perhaps an inspiration), we stopped into a wonderful used book store and Noemi bought me my first Chapman's Guide.  Formally known as Chapman Piloting & Seamanship, but referred to by most people as the Chapman's Guide, Chapman, or simply "the Boating Bible."  I still have this Chapman, and refer to it frequently.

http://www.derrickcogburn.com/arcadia-adventures/2016/2/15/saugatuckdouglas-and-my-first-chapman Saugatuck/Douglas and My Chapman

First Movements Under Sail

As my interest in sailing grew, I was finally able to get my first opportunity to move under sail. In 2004, joined by my sister Courtney, I went to the beautiful Caribbean Island resort of Punta Cana (http://puntacana.com/) in the Dominican Republic.  There, we were able to take a two-hour lesson on a Hobi Cat catamaran.  Great opportunity right? An initial sailing lesson on a beautiful, fast, manageable catamaran in the caribbean ocean.  The only problem was the lesson was entirely in Spanish.  Now, while I pride myself on my ability to communicate in Spanish, taking on critical instructions that might save my life was quite another matter.  Yes, I was a little...terrified.  However, I absolutely loved it. After a short while sailing with the instructor, teaching me the fundamentals of sail trim, and giving me instructions about how to bring the boat back into the shore,  I was left to my own devices, and to deliver myself and my beloved little sister Courtney, safely back to shore (we made it back, albeit with a somewhat forceful return). This was my first opportunity to captain a sailboat (actually any boat), and I loved it! Later that year, I had another similar lesson in San Juan, Puerto Rico (also in Spanish).  I was much more confident on this outing, and after my lesson, I ended up single-handing the little cat. These were my exciting first movements under sail.

http://www.derrickcogburn.com/arcadia-adventures/2016/2/15/first-movement-under-sail First Movements Under Sail