Every few years I got get the itch… Even since moving away from home, I had little opportunity to get down to my grandparents in Miami and go out sailing. Periodically I would get the urge and start looking at boats online, while waxing poetical to Vicky (who had never so much as been on a boat) about the joys of sailing.
Then in 2011, I discovered that Philadelphia had a sailing club. Who knew? Turns out it was at the marina on the Delaware river, about 5 blocks from our house!
It was fate. We saw an ad for an open house the club was running, and walked over to the clubhouse. The club had a fleet of J/27 racing sloops, which they sailed/cruised/raced every week on the Delaware! I was beyond thrilled and was ready to sign up immediately (excited to get some sailing experience on boats bigger than a sunfish/hobie cat) Vicky was just as excited, despite having no real sailing experience whatsoever. She dived in with both feet, and was a natural. Within a season she was crewing and skippering the J/27s like an old salt!
Excited by our newfound shared passion, we began to look to further our sailing experiences. We took ASA classes, we chartered bigger boats. But it wasn’t enough. We left each charter wanting more… we wanted out own boat, we wanted to be able to live on it, travel on it, explore…
Which is where our story begins…
Hey, we chartered Elara from Rock Haven charters in Maryland for a week in May of 2005! Beautiful boat. I am envious of your adventure and wish you the best. Fair winds and following seas!