Taking my first bay cruise back in 82' with my friend Jeff on a rented boat with our Michigan friends. What a hoot and we did it a bunch of times in those early days.
Discovering windsurfing in 1984 at Leo Ryan Park in Foster City. My girlfriend and I were living on the lagoon and a friend gave me his Bic that he had but was not using. From 84 to 2000 I was hooked! Sailing all over California, Hawaii, Florida and the east coast. Even started a windsurfing club in Delaware and we had some fine adventures with 20+ members.
My future wife, Bridget, gave me a Sun Fish sailboat for my birthday in 1993 when we lived on the lagoon in Redwood Shores. It was leaky and would take on a bunch of water but it got me out there. My trusty golden Sierra would join me for sails and swimming. Hey boy!
In 1999, I bought a 16' wooden sailing dory and trailer for $450. She needed work, but I jumped in and repainted her and dropped her in Lake Elizabeth for the first time. She was an awesome boat with a retractable dagger board. She had a rig from a 505 sailboat and I took her to many of the nearby lakes, sloughs, lagoons and dams. Once I got my feet wet, I started taking her out on the bay in San Leandro and Sausalito. The Honky Dory was a sweet ride! My last sail, I almost got arrested for sailing naked on Quarry Lakes. I gave her away in 2012 to a friend from the Haha. Awesome times!
In 2000, I convinced two friends to form a partnership and purchase a nice 30' keel boat for sailing the bay. I started the hunt and we found her quickly in Alameda. She was a 1981 Newport 30. My criteria for the perfect boat was this: 30', diesel, 6'4" headroom, legal head, sleeps 4, wheel steering and turnkey. The Addiction had all this and more. None of the partners had much experience and the Alameda Estuary proved to be a safe and beautiful spot to learn the ropes. Soon we were taking out friends to the far reaches of the bay. After a year or so, we took our first trip to the Delta. Then the Napa River and on to the Petaluma River. All the while, having the time of our lives. We are approaching 14 years of ownership and now have 6 partners and we each pay $3 per day to sail one of the greatest bay boats ever built! She has brought so much pleasure and fun into our lives. I have now sailed her over 1000 times and over 20,000 nautical miles! In that time, I estimate I have introduced the bay to over 500 folks. Thank-you Addiction!
In addition to all my bay sailing, I have done the Baja Haha (750 miles from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas) 3 times aboard other boats. Chartered in the BVI's, Sea of Cortez and Belize. Amazing trips all!!! My next charter is in 2014 in the Grenadines. I hope to purchase a late model 40' sailboat in 2017 and prepare for the trip of a lifetime to New Zealand and Australia via the South Pacific in 2018. My friends will be joining me for different legs to bring the boat safely to Sydney. We are calling it our Radical Sabbatical. You can only imagine how much I am looking forward to this voyage.
Here is a toast to the next 2000 posts and sailing on the seas of our beautiful planet! I hope you will join me in this grand adventure!
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