Sailing the Schooner Woodwind

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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.

Paddling the Potomac

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In 2009, we moved to the Washington DC area, and eventually bought a house in Bethesda, Maryland.  DC has a great paddling community, and we started paddling on the beautiful Potomac River, and continue to have a wonderful time paddling amongst the monuments and experiencing the National Cherry Blossom Festival from the water is an unparalleled experience.

Kayaking in the 'Cuse

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In 2004, we were recruited to Syracuse University.  We bought a house in Manlius, New York and lived on a small lake called Snooks Pond. Since we lived on a lake and had our own dock, it was a wonderful opportunity to finally buy our first boat - a kayak!

Our first kayak was a green Perception Acadia II tandem (pictured above), and eventually added two solo kayaks to our fleet, a yellow Old Town Castine for me and a red Old Town Loon for Noemí. In addition to paddling on Snooks Pond, our kayaking adventures included paddling on Blue Mountain Lake at Minnowbrook, the Syracuse University great camp in the Adirondack Mountains, paddle camping through the linked lakes in the Adirondacks, and a circumnavigation of Wellesley Island, in the 1000 Islands on the St. Lawrence River.

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.

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.