Blog Entry # 4
I’ve owned and raced three different types of sailboats:
NACRA Catamarans included 5.2s, a 5.5 (single handle) and 5.8s. Over a decade I had raced my catamarans on Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan and a number of inland lakes. I also qualified and raced in a number (5) of worlds’ in the Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic and Pacific Ocean coastlines. My favourite memory was double trapping in the Gulf of Mexico with porpoises alongside my hulls. My worst memory was when my catamaran was sucked up by a water spout (so we were told) and my crew and I dumped into Elk Lake. It was in November, snowing, windy and foggy. It took an eternity before we were found and eventually pulled out of the water.
Built a DN Ice Yacht (US 4122) and raced for a number of years. Why you ask? I found several of my catamaran competitors raced DNs during the winter and were in mid-season form in the spring. Most favourite memory – anytime sailing my DN period! I have very few bad memories in my DN. One was in the DN World’s on Lake St. Clair as a ‘B’ Fleeter. A coast guard helicopter flew over during a heat and announced that the ice had broken off – get to shore. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it trying to jump sail 5 ‘ over open water with my DN. Thank goodness for my screw drivers! Selling my DN was another bad day.
Over the years, I had experienced sailing a few different sailboats (Pearson 28, Tartan 10, Hunter 34) before purchasing my Freedom 28 – Jonathon Livingston Seagull. JLS was a pleasure single handling and accommodated my family comfortably as well. (Loved the ease of the T-bone spinnaker.) My most favourite memory was sailing with my three young children through Lake St. Clair, Lake Erie through the Welland Canal to Toronto. My wife followed along the coastline in our van with our golden retriever. Then she returned home with the children while I remained to launch a new vehicle. Living on the boat during the week and taking the train home every other weekend went a great experience. One season I bit my tongue making the decision to withdraw from a Port Huron-Mackinaw Yacht Race (I believe) the morning of the third day especially when informed that we were two hours ahead of the second place boat in our fleet. I had under-estimated the time it would take to complete the race in light winds and I and my catamaran experienced crew had to be back to the office!
Never Too Late For 