Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

Cruising the Chesapeake
Camaraderie: Alive and Well at AYC
Bob Baker
A group of cruisers enjoy cocktails at the Tides Inn.
Photos courtesy of Lynn Hendershot, Hank Spector, & Bill Parlatore.
CAMARADERIE: ca•ma•ra•der•ie, n. Goodwill,
mutual trust, lighthearted rapport, and friendship
among people who share an experience.
Also, comradery.
Regardless of how you spell it – camaraderie or
comradery – is an important attribute and the degree to
which it is evident is a valuable indicator of a great yacht
club. It is a word often used to describe the friendships,
interaction, and light hearted fun among our members.
It is considered by most to be an outcome to the team
building developed by our highly competitive racers.
But, it is not limited to racers - we are fortunate to have
a continually expanding list of opportunities for our
members to develop camaraderie through competitive
and non-competitive activities.
Within the cruising fleet, camaraderie is evident at
Club events and off-the-water cruising fleet activities,
but never more than at the large number of on-thewater
cruises and rendezvous orchestrated by the cruise
committee and accomplished by experienced cruise
leaders. Past Commodore Jeff Scholz says, “While I was
Commodore, Cyndee and I supported as many activities
of the Club that we had time for. I was a racer first and
a cruiser when we had our lobster boat. We both fondly
recall the cruises to The Tides Inn, the Baltimore Inner
Harbor, the Newcomers’ Cruise, and the year-end dinner
at the Club – memories of finely organized events where
it was obvious everyone enjoyed each other’s company
with good natured fun and camaraderie.”
One of the best cruises with a wide range of
activities is the annual Labor Day Week cruise to
a major Chesapeake Resort – usually The Tides Inn
or Bay Creek. These destinations in the southern
Bay lend themselves to a voyage with nights on the
hook in lovely anchorages and sitting in the cockpit
sharing experiences. Either destination may test rusty
seamanship skills and make for lively, tall stories of
survival and informal match racing between sailors.
Alan Herdershot says, “The trips are always interesting,
if not frightening! I remember leaving the good old
Potomac in high winds and seas, hearing others
slogging along and finding out, after the fact, that
some folks actually were tossed about so much that
they commissioned a crew member to sit in front of
the refrigerator to keep it closed and the “stuff ” inside!”
Peter Thornton adds, “The 2009 Southern Bay Cruise
ended with the Tides Inn Cruise. We turned into
Carters Creek and pulled into our slip in the pouring
rain after a strenuous fight up the Bay in very stormy
weather. Unlike most marinas, the Tides provides
towels in its dockside bathrooms - unlimited, big, fluffy
towels. You can imagine our delight.”
8 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2