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Laura Young
(inducted 2007)
The
first time I ever stepped on board a boat was as a passenger on a bare-boat
charter in 1986. With an arm load of groceries, I stepped off
the dock in Tortolla, and sailed away through the beautiful sapphire
waters of the BVI for 7 days. Anchoring at Jost Van Dyke, tacking up
to Anegada, swimming up to Necker Island for a picnic, arriving on day 5
at Virgin Gorda. With me at the bow with the hook, we sailed up to
the mooring ball and easily picked it up in one pass. Pleasing ourselves
that the captains watching us from the Yacht Club didn’t think us just another
bunch of charter slobs. After that magnificent
vacation experience, I could never get sailing out of
my mind.
Because
of career obligations, I did not step on board another boat for 10 years, but
after 1995, I was able to study sailing here and there
in the NY area and then began serious training with Captain Larry & Letty
Wheeler on their vessel the Samana (ASTA)
The Samana is a beautiful 52 foot, 34 ton ketch built in Holland in
1975 and designed by Louis van der Wiele. With the
Wheelers, I took every course from Basic Sailing to Coastal Navigation,
Advanced Ocean Sailing, Advance Navigation, Offshore Passage Making in the water
of the Atlantic around Portland and the Caribbean.
Since
then my sailing experiences have been on smaller and smaller
boats, It is really a different experience for me to helm the J24’s
compared to the slow response of 34 ton vessel!.
The following are my three Blue Water experiences:
Delivered the Samana with 7 other crew up “Rt.66” from St. Thomas to St.
Georges Harbor, Bermuda.
7 days at sea May 22-29 2002. The Samana was being delivered for her
summer classes to Portland, ME.
Responsibilities - 4 hour watches for 7 days - helm, lookout, radar,
logbook, diesel engine maintenance, battery maintenance.
Offshore Passage – 4/1/02-4/7/02 from St. Thomas to St. Martin and
return. We sailed northeast around Horseshoe Reef then south through
the Anegada Passage to pick up the winds and current, to St. Martin.
Had a lovely sail on the first leg for 9 hours on a close reach, seas 5
ft. and increasing to 10ft. Took the tack too early, and couldn’t make
it safely around the reef so had to tack a few more times to make it
around. Rough seas and winds made for quick trip south, but then the
last 6 hours the wind was on our nose, so we motored in.
Offshore Passage – 3/19/01-3/21/01 Portland Maine to Nova Scotia. (200 miles)
Lovely, cold snowy exciting ride north - my first real
experience with some weather, and reefing the main in the middle of the
night in some wind! Lots of fog and heavy traffic.
It would be great to be accepted into the Blue Water Society and I would love
to hear stories from other members of the MSC.
Thanks for your time. Best,
Laura Young - March 2007
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