Robert Kansa and family were inspired to make a sailing vacation out of Summer Sailstice and made the trek from Ohio to the Maryland shore to try some saltwater sailing on the Sailstice!
'It all started before I don't know when, but my parents used to take us to Assateauge island and Ocean City, MD for summer vacations.
Of course that was where I wanted to take my kids too, but with a new twist. This year our goal was going to take up sailing, and venture onto Chincoteauge and Assawoman Bay in Maryland for a summer Sailstice. We found a little used (abused?) Holder Hobie 12 at an auto auction of all places.
Unfortunately nobody in our family has ever sailed. So as the adventurous people we are, we decided it was worth trying. After a few sails around the portage lakes of Ohio, I felt confident enough to try it in a saltwater bay. To fill myself with knowledge I decided to get an appropriate chart of the DelMarVa area. Lo and behold. Several miles from our campsite across the bay (8 as the straightedge flies) there on the map was the little "Pirate Islands" right in the middle of Chincoteauge bay. Now after watching "Pirates of the Carribean ", sailing from our state campsite on the water to the islands, was something we were destined to do.
The border bays of Assateauge and Chincoteauge Island while having a warm inviting expanse of water, are also known for being shallow. Our plans were simple. Take the little Hobie holder on vacation, and bury treasure chest filled with worthy goodies on Pirate Island. What a grand way to celebrate Sailstice!
Good thing we practiced our capsizing, because the first day (of a 2 day Sailstice) we went out in (what we found out later) 25 knot winds and 3' waves. Needless to say a good challenge in a 12' sailboat with new sailors. Of course the bay is no more than 3' deep in spots and when the waves were not coming over the bow we often found ourselves hitting bottom and over we went. I won't tell how many times but all it did was fuel our determination to try again.
Kansa kids celebrate Summer Sailstice in the Hobie Holder 12
Our second day of Sailstice was MUCH better with calmer winds and more sun. trying our best to avoid the shoals and sandbars, we made it to a set of islands called egging islands. What a wonderful day. While we are sure that hundreds have landed on these little islands before, for us we felt like we really accomplished something grand. We even buried our treasure and marked it appropriately.
As our vacation went on we sailed every day that week, and surprisingly were only joined by kite/ windsurfers and the occasional crab boat, or jet ski. Talking to some locals we found out that very few monohull sailboats ventured into the bays, and it was usually the domain of catamarans. So this story ends for this year with us buying ourselves a catamaran and learning to sail it for the rest of this season. That week and achievements over Sailstice have given us a passion for sailing. Next year we will make Pirate Island for sure!
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| Kansa kids celebrate Summer Sailstice in the Hobie Holder 12 | Kansa kids celebrate Summer Sailstice in the Hobie Holder 12. | |