After that week it was difficult to stay off the Bay. I found friends to charter boats with me for a few summers. When they moved out of town, I sailed with a club out of Annapolis. The Chesapeake Bay is the penultimate cruising grounds in the country due to its hundreds of rivers, creeks, streams, bays, and inlets, most of which provide shelter when anchored at night. A few scenes of the many memorable times follow.

Oh boy, talk about a dream come true, sailing in the BVI was certainly the highlight of my sailing career. Along with five family members and friends, I chartered a 42 ft Beneteau from the Moorings in Road Town, Tortola in May 1990. The best possible sailing conditions, the most beautiful water I have ever seen, snorkeling through turquoise liquid light, excellent food, and "Ken's Best Crew", all combined to make for the true dream vacation. I could fill your entire hard disk with images, but I've winnowed it down to a few representative scenes. When I can get around to do digitizing a video clip, I'll include that here also.

The summer of 1991 (the same trip that Erika helped me to rediscover cycling), I went to the Wooden Boat Schoool in Camden Maine for a week. I was on a 52 ft wooden schooner with 3 other students. I had long been interested in wooden boats, so this was a fascinating experience. The boat was only about 5 years old, but it had been built as a replica to exacting standards. It even had a full-size cast iron stove that served both for cooking and as a heat source on the cool Maine nights. The fresh bread that came out of that oven was incredible, as was the sailing in Maine waters. I can't find my photos of this trip right now, but here's a shot of a dock at the school. The tidal range is about 10 feet, explaining the need for a floating dock of this type.

My family is responsible for Lake Michigan sailing. Brother Dave once took me to a friend's boat on Green Bay for a few days. Brother Jon has a wonderful new Hunter 32 at the Milwaukee Yacht Club, scene of a family fiesta every July 4th to watch the fireworks display on the Milwaukee waterfront. Needless to say, I am green with envy and consider it totally unfair that my little brother should have such a great boat! I content myself with vicarious living on it though.

In March 1999, I had the unique opportunity to sail on America 2, Dennis Connor's boat in the Freemantle Australia America's Cup. Once we were out in the channel, it flew like the wind, even with a shorter mast and smaller sail. I was thrilled beyond belief.

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