Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

Celebrating Annapolis Yacht Club | Bill and Maria Museler
Bill and Maria Museler in their Herreshoff 12 1/2, Raven.
Bill and I spent considerable time in Annapolis
prior to moving here in 2005. Our daughter
graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 and
we have been coming to the US Sailboat Show for over
20 years. In 1982, we first cruised from Long Island to
the Chesapeake Bay in our West Indies 36, Marica, for
5 weeks and fell in love with it as the best cruising area
we have ever experienced. So, it was an easy decision
to retire to Annapolis where we bought our home in
Eastport. Fortunately for us, on the morning after we
closed on our home in January 2001, we decided to have
breakfast at Chick and Ruth's Delly where we met Bob
and Sheila Wohlfarth, long time AYC members. One
thing led to another and Bob offered to sponsor us for
membership and Bill applied later that year. We found
another connection to the Club through our son Chris
whose college classmate was John Torgerson, son of
Commodore Bill and Maureen Torgerson.
At that time, there was a waiting list and when we
were accepted, the initiation fee had gone up another
$2,000 but AYC membership is well worth it. Our first
great benefit was when our daughter Erica was able to
hold her wedding reception in the Skipjack in 2003. The
Club's event planners worked with us to make Erica’s
wedding truly memorable and flawless. Guests from
California and the Northwest marveled at the boats in
Spa Creek and the amenities of our club – and that was
in February!
When we finally moved to Annapolis permanently
in 2005, we discovered the Cruising Fleet and it has
been central in cementing our connection to the
Club. On their cruises, we met members who are now
counted as some of our closest friends. Never before
had we experienced such well organized cruises to really
outstanding venues. The Newcomers’ Cruises have been
particularly outstanding. Last year, we had the pleasure
of leading part of the New England cruise; we were
Cruise Leaders for the 4th of July events in Bristol, RI.
After 2 years of cruising in our J/120, we went over
to the “dark side” and now cruise in an Albin Trawler.
However, we are still sailors at heart and we compete in
the Wednesday Night Races in our Herreshoff 12 1/2,
Raven. Bill joined the Race Committee and especially
enjoys helping with the frequent National and World
Sailing Championships AYC conducts, and I volunteer
at the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
We are at the Club almost every Friday night for
happy hour and most Tuesday nights we make sure to
come in for the Blue Plate Special. We equate the Club
staff as family and stand firmly in our belief that AYC
is the best restaurant in town (just don’t EVER take
Cream of Crab soup off the menu!).
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
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