As the 2013 season begins,we're visiting three destinations that are each hosting special events this summer. Whether you want to set a course for new cruising grounds on your own boat or explore them aboard a charter yacht,Mystic,CT,Solomons,MD and Casco Bay,ME are beckoning.

Mystic Blues Festival

Mystic, CT

With an historic seaport and a world-class aquarium, Mystic has been Connecticut’s most popular summer destination for a long time. Now there’s another reason to set a course for this shoreline town, with the First Annual Mystic Blues Festival coming on the weekend of June 28 - 30.

Learning to sail is easy, and you can have a lot of fun in the process. We asked Rich Jepsen, the owner of the Olympic Circle Sailing Club in Berkeley, CA and Chair of US Sailing’s Training Committee, for some tips on choosing a sailing school.

When the Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA) received word of winning a grant from the Governor’s Workforce Board RI to launch a Marine Trades Pre-Apprenticeship Program, it was cause for celebration. The $142,788 grant was good news for career-seekers who now have a clear pathway to training for entry-level jobs; it was also welcome news for employers who will now have a source for workers with basic skills who can grow into star employees.

Since Superstorm Sandy made landfall in late October 2012, many boaters have yet to see the full scope of destruction and disruption in the Northeast. A storm of this magnitude does much more damage than what is seen on your local news station, and Sandy’s effects are still an issue for boaters, because many of the lighthouses, buoys and other structures that were affected by Sandy have not been repaired or replaced. Even if your vessel made it through unscathed, she still may not be out of harm’s way if you are not diligent and vigilant.

Waterway Guide, AMI, BoatUS Team Up to Offer Boaters the Latest Information on NJ, NY Waterways Superstorm Sandy dealt a devastating blow to marine facilities, navigation aids and channels along the New Jersey and New York coastlines. The storm also choked northern New Jersey’s Intracoastal Waterway and other channels with sunken boats, sand, silt and debris from buildings and piers. How will boaters know what services are available or where the navigational hazards exist?

Whether you own a boat or will be chartering one, it’s time to start planning your mid-season getaways. We have a selection of fun events at great places this month, including a festival for buccaneers of all ages in the Chesapeake, a wooden boat regatta and a rendezvous for sail- and powerboats in Downeast Maine, and an Independence Day celebration in the Bermuda of the North. We’ll visit more summer destinations and events in our may Issue.

A Spectacle Within Reach Jericho Bay, ME

By Nicole Jacques

Imagine centuries of maritime heritage made tangible for one day on the water. With traditionally planked gaffers and coldmolded racers alike, the starting line at the annual Eggemoggin Reach Regatta (ERR) is more like a yachting timeline. From the International Rule to the International Offshore Rule, these boats were built to widely varying standards in dramatically different eras. The one thing they all have in common is in their very bones: each boat on the water was built from wood.

The ERR in mid-coast Maine is revered among classic boat enthusiasts for its one-of-a-kind fleet of dazzling wooden sailboats. The myriad fleet includes sloops, schooners, cutters and ketches – the majority of which are invaluable maritime antiquities. With such a showcase of boats, the racing has become a dramatic spectacle for history buffs and racing enthusiasts alike. The ERR is embraced as much by spectators as it is by sailors.

For most boaters in this region, the days leading up to launch day can be the busiest of the year, and it’s easy to overlook important commissioning chores when warm breezes beckon. Your boat may have more or less equipment than is listed here. The important thing to remember is that checking ALL of your boat’s systems will help ensure an easy launch and a trouble-free season.

Outside the Hull

Inspect the hull for gelcoat blisters, distortion from poppits and stress cracks, particularly around the keel and rudder.

Inspect the propeller for dings, pitting and distortion. Make sure cotter pins are secure. Grip the prop and try moving the shaft - if it’s loose, the cutless bearing may need replacement.

If you’ve spent any time on the waters of Long Island Sound in the last 50 years, chances are you’ll have crossed paths, wakes or tacks with one of the more elegant and beautiful wooden sailing yachts afloat – the Schooner Yacht Brilliant. She was designed by Sparkman & Stephens and built by the Henry B. Nevins Shipyard in City Island, NY for Walter Barnum. Barnum specified the very finest materials for his yacht so she would be capable of a voyage around the world. Measuring 61’ 6” LOA with a 14’ 8” beam and a 9’ draft, her teak on oak frame construction was roomy and fast and, as it turns out, substantial. Her very first refit only took place in 2007, when her teak deck was replaced. Shortly after her launch in 1932 she set a record for vessels of her size, running from Nantucket Lightship to Bishop Rock Light, England in 15 days, 1 hour and 23 minutes. Although she entered several Bermuda Races and acquitted herself well, she never managed to win the race to the Onion Patch.