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20 Years Ago…

Claudia at the hem of Woodwind II
Claudia at the hem of Woodwind II

It is so amazing to me that my family started Woodwind twenty years ago. Every so often I am reminded of how long ago it was, although sometimes it seems like yesterday. Read on and you’ll see where I am going with this.

Thursday’s sails were incredible. The first sail, now at 12:30, we sailed across the Bay in what seemed like record time. Claudia, from Maryland, was aboard to celebrate her mom’s birthday. She fell in love with sailing! At 11 years old, she was walking around on the boat, while it was healing 10-15 degrees, like she was born on a boat.  We had a couple of sailors aboard too, and they all marveled on how well the Woodwind sailed.

 

Claudia having fun sailing
Claudia having fun sailing

On our second cruise we sailed across the Bay in great time.  We had a couple aboard, that told me that they sailed with me when I was a child. I asked when that was and they said it was our first year in business. Flattered, I told them I wasn’t that young back then, but they remembered me as a crew member that may have been barely 20 years old. They also shared with me how they came upon Woodwind today.

Ron and Rita sporting their frequent sailor card from 1993. This is their second stamp.
How long can you use your frequent sailor card? Ron and Rita sporting their frequent sailor card from 1993. This is their second stamp.

They were organizing and came upon the Woodwind frequent sailor card. They thought, well that was 20 years ago, but they looked up in a travel book of what to do in Annapolis, and there was the Woodwind. They were so excited that the phone number was the same. And they booked their trip. We were so delighted to stamp the oldest frequent sailor card still in use to our knowledge. Thank you Ron and Rita, it was preserved so well, too!

Our last cruise had local music. This wasn’t just local music, this was Eastport Oyster Boys music. As local as you can get… they took the water taxi to the gig today.

Back to memory lane… when I first came to Annapolis and realized we were going to have a schooner here, I wanted to have some local music sing aboard.

 

Navy Boats racing around us.
Navy Boats racing around us.

I met Jeff Holland and Kevin Brooks, and they did exactly that. Local, sea chanty music with a modern, Annapolis twist. They used to play aboard every Thursday or Friday night for a couple of years. Then it turned into eight times a summer, and now it is a special occasion cruise.

But, oh how the Woodwind missed having Eastport Oyster Boys with Kevin Brooks and Tom Gay. They had a lot of fans aboard, and by the end of the night, everyone was a fan.

Eastport Oyster Boys play aboard Woodwind II
Eastport Oyster Boys play aboard Woodwind II

Favorite parts of the night was the fiddle playing, banjo stomping music as we sailed past the Thursday night race boats, and the song, “Good Hat, Good Dog, Good Boat”- which they say are the only three things you need in life.  Listen here!

20 Years feel fantastic!

 

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