By Dave Hemenway
The fall of 2024 was not the kindest season to me, even though I had hoped it would be as it’s my favorite time to sail. The winds were good, the water was warm and the weather was more temperate than the hot, humid summer. Freedom, my Greenwich 24 sloop, waited patiently on her Thames River mooring in New London, Connecticut. I was expecting a great fall when I came down with the dreaded Lyme Tick disease and stressed an old hernia injury while horsing around a neglected Typhoon sailboat that needed to be rescued. So much for a great fall sailing season when I could hardly move. But there is always next year, hopefully!
Thanksgiving week found me getting Freedom to Boating on the Thames (BOTTS) for her annual hauling and trip back to Cappy’s Boat Shop in our backyard. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving was a pleasant day and the BOTTS folks – Alex, Greg, and Kyle – did all the work of dismasting Freedom and loading her onto her trailer. It went as smooth as silk thanks to their efforts, although there was ice on the ground. Our nice fall was clearly ending and colder weather was settling in. While towing Freedom home, I began to reflect on sailing and why I enjoy it.
An icy haulout day at Boating on the Thames
Freedom at home
This summer, my wife Kathy and I had a number of boating activities with our three grandchildren who love the water. We went kayaking on an inland lake, played on some beaches and sailed Freedom, the latter a highlight of their vacation with us. They all enjoyed steering and just being on the boat for a few hours. They are now interested in what makes a sailboat sail and how to make it sail. Soon they will be sailing dinghies by themselves and getting into all sorts of challenging situations that will make my hair turn gray while giving them the opportunities to master sailing and safely being on the water.
Grandkids sailing Freedom with the old man
One aspect of sailing that I love is sailing with good friends, many of whom I’ve sailed with for many years. My good friend Arnie Sherman came up from Baltimore to spend a couple days sailing Freedom this summer. We had a great time sailing and reminiscing about trips in years past, for example sailing into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor on Tenacity, our Dickerson 36 yawl. Remembering past adventures while having new experiences is one of the joys of sailing. Arnie and I look forward to many more sailing experiences as we grow older. While they may be less adventuresome than those of the past, they still allow us to enjoy being on the water together.
Arnie Sherman on Freedom
Another wonderful aspect of sailing is the community of sailors and boats. This includes everything from the welcoming and caring BOTTS folks to the Classic Finn Organization, where we get together and sail our classic Finns that we have restored. Bating around in our 14’ Finns during our weekly races or our annual Thames River Finn Championship are enjoyable experiences for everyone.
Getting together with Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association (CDSOA) colleagues is always a fun time as we discuss ways to improve our good old boats and tell stories of our past adventures while we dream of joining the annual CDSOA Maine cruise next summer. Again, it’s the community of sailors that makes this all possible.
Sailing singlehanded is another great way to enjoy sailing. While sailing with people is fun, so is sailing by yourself with no particular goal – a refreshing change from our heavily scheduled lives. A couple summers ago, I had a few days open and sailed Freedom from the Thames River to West Harbor on Fishers Island, New York, to Stonington, Connecticut to Napatree near Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and back to New London. While the whole cruise was less than twenty miles, it was a full multi-day adventure in a small boat like Freedom.
Stonington Sunset
I brought my trusty old Cape Dory 10 dinghy and enjoyed poking around the inner waters of the harbors. I see so much more of a harbor when rowing around in a handsome tender and often meet interesting people who appreciate traditional boats. Rowing into a town is a great way to get some exercise and to buy some unexpected food to make a delicious, but simple dinner, on the boat. On this cruise, I rowed into Stonington and discovered an unattended vegetable stand in front of a Victorian home offering fresh picked vegetables for sale. A sign requested the buyer to take what they wanted and leave their money in the drawer under the stand. What a refreshing way to procure some fine vegetables which were great on the grill that evening.
Three days of great sailing with a good wind in the protected waters of Fishers Island Sound while anchoring in good, protected harbors was a great way to enjoy the pleasures of life. One of the features of a smaller boat is you don’t have to go far to have a rewarding cruise since your sailing speed is so much slower than a large boat’s. I returned home refreshed and happy!
Cape Dory 10 dinghy off Freedom
Weather has always intrigued me while sailing. It’s always fun to listen to the forecast and determine the best course of action for the next leg of the cruise. It is interesting to see if the wind is blowing from the predicted direction and velocity. In the summer, there are often afternoon thunderstorms as the cooler sea breeze interacts with the warmer land air. We have many times hurried into an anchorage trying to beat afternoon storms. Watching thunderstorms march eastward from the mainland is always interesting. With any luck, we get settled in for the night before the weather turns nasty. Then we can safely enjoy the beauty of the weather.
Stormy skies over Stonington
It is interesting to reflect upon what I enjoy about sailing and the great experiences I have had on the water. While my desires and abilities have changed as I’ve grown older, my feelings towards sailing have remained constant. The times and conditions may have changed, but my appreciation and love of the beauty of sailing is unwavering, whether with friends or single-handed. I look forward to continually modifying my approach to sailing so I can safely enjoy it for as long as possible. ■
Dave Hemenway lives in Eastern Connecticut and sails out of Boating on the Thames in New London. He’s been sailing and messing about in boats for his whole life and has recreationally sailed Finns on and off since the 1970s. His primary cruising boat is a Dickerson 36 yawl that he’s maintained and improved for 35 years. Since retiring from higher education, he has worked at Cappy’s Boat Shop where he reports to his dog, Cappy.
