Looking
for Crew

I'm looking for people interested in sailing on the Chesapeake Bay during the 2008 sailing season to crew on my boat, Sofia, a Tartan 27. I'll be sailing on weekends (and extended weekends) out of Baltimore.

Contact
Me

Call me, or email me
if you have the time
and interest to crew.

I'm a carless (carfree?) Washingtonian so I have a preference for people who live near DC so that I can get a lift if I need one.

Cruising
Plans

I plan to do several weekend cruises that involve staying out in the bay and overnighting on Sofia for a day or more, generally as weekend trips. Here are some of the possibilities:

raft ups with the Downtown Sailng Club part 1 part 2

sailing and inline skating details

cruise races (long distance races) details

Po
Polsku

Serdecznie zapraszam wszystkich Polaków oraz ich przyjaciół na wspólne żeglowanie. Specjalnie zaproszenie kieruje do członków Polskiego Klubu Żeglarskiego w Nowym Yorku jak również członków tajemniczego Polskiego Klubu Żeglarskiego w Baltimore.

Rozmawiam i czytam po Polsku i lubię Heweliusza na specjalne okazje.

Links
I Like

Some useful links for Chesapeake Bay sailing:

	NWS Current Weather Conditions (Another Link)
	Current Radar from Weather Underground
	Current and Tide Almanac
	A source for getting GPS locations of buoys
	Forecasts: Official NOAA Pretty 3 Day
	Charts: Helenka Sized (little) Sofia Sized (big)
	Publications: Coast Pilot Notice to Mariners

Current
Status

Sofia is at her new home in Baltimore and ready to sail. She is located at the Inner Harbor East Marina, between Fells Point and the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Helenka, my 22 foot Pearson Electra, is up for sale -- make me an offer. Built in 1965, the Electra has the same hull as the better known and often raced Ensign, but has a bigger cabin to sleep in. I've been sailing Helenka on the Potomac. Helenka is a great boat for a first time owner and is ready to be sailed at any time. She is a little neglected, but small enough to be easy to repair. Helenka is located in Washington DC at the Washington Marina, along the historic DC Waterfront, near L'Enfant Plaza.

Some photos from Helenka's 2007 Baltimore to DC trip (click to see the gallery):

Helenka's
Story

Helenka, my 22 foot Pearson Electra, is up for sale -- make me an offer. Built in 1965, the Electra has the same hull as the better known and often raced Ensign. Her small size makes it inexpensive and easy to repair/improve/maintain her.

In 2006, I adopted a lost and neglected sailboat, one step away from being abandoned forever. Under all that neglect, the surveyors reported in their expert sailboat doctor's opinion, she was a completely sound boat. So I helped her limp her way to a Baltimore boatyard for some care over the winter, where she began to perk up. I discovered lots of things about her:

she is the baby of her family, often more safe & seaworthy than the bigger kids

she has a legendary father and tons of sisters and cousins

Her name has been lost in the mists of time, so I named her Helenka, after my fearless and indestructible niece. Last year, Helenka started showing the healthy glow of a cared for boat. Today she is fully equipped and ready to sail at any time.

Sofia's
Debut

I got a bigger boat, Sofia, a Tartan 27 in April, 2008. Sofia better fits my sensibilities that a boat should be a portable home as well as great for sailing. She has standing headroom, an inboard motor, an enclosed head, and has been exceptionally well taken care of by her former owner. Tartan 27s have an excellent reputation for being safe and seaworthy as well as fun to sail boats.

Sofia has more capacity for crew. She can seat 5 people comfortably whereas Helenka is happiest with 3. The Tartan 27 can sleep 2-3 people below decks and has an enclosure that I think can be set up in a pinch to create sleeping space for 1-2 more in the cockpit. My plans are to keep the boat in the Baltimore Inner Harbor and sail her on the Chesapeake Bay. Here are some photos of Sofia:

About
Andrew

I've been sailing for over 10 years, took my first lesson at the Belle Haven Marina and was a member of the Manhattan Sailing Club for many years. Currently I am a member of the Downtown Sailing Club and DC Community Sailing and am a sailing instructor at both clubs.

I've sailed in/to lots of places, such as:

the Chesapeake Bay from Baltimore to Annapolis/Edgewater; the Potomac

The Hudson; Long Island Sound; the Atlantic; Block Island; Martha's Vineyard

Abroad, on the Mazury lakes in Poland; also Tasman Bay, New Zealand

I have successfully completed a number of sailing classes the most recognized being ASA101, ASA103 and ASA104. I have a DC boating safety card.

I have sailed/raced/crewed/taken classes on lots of boats including Flying Scots, J/22s, J/24s, Sonars, a variety of 30 footers, and the 42 foot Pintita. A lot of my experience has been on J/24s, which are comparable in size to Helenka and Sofia.