When Stan Wujcik first joined the Parklawn Sailing Association (PSA) on the West River 30 years ago, he hoped to gain enough experience to buy his own boat. He says, “Maintaining the boat and having the additional expense of ownership was not something I wanted to take on considering my busy lifestyle and the variety of interests I had. The club afforded me a reasonable cost to sail when I wanted to and to participate in the maintenance that caught my interest without having the burden of enduring all.” Here are some of his thoughts about sailing.
How did you get into sailing?
I have loved water sports all my life: swimming, scuba, fishing, water skiing, and downhill skiing. When I moved to the area in 1977, I wanted to experience sailing. I joined Johns Hopkins sailing club… After joining I found out that it was a group of grad students that liked to sit around and talk about sailing. I wanted more, so I took sailing lessons from Annapolis Yacht Sails (then, the Pearson dealer). I learned on Pearsons and began to charter. After chartering for two years, I found PSA.
Have you held an office within the club?
I have been the club’s commodore, fleet captain, training officer, and a boat bosun. Each of these positions added to the overall experience I have gained and the fun that I have received from the sport of sailing and the club. I have learned a lot about human nature, running a small not-for-profit corporation, boat maintenance, safety, and boat handling. I’m still learning each and every time I sail; it never stops.
Can you tell us about one interesting person you met through sailing?
The most interesting person I have met is Louise Burke. After learning to sail, I was hungry for some ocean or blue water experience. Louise was the head coach of Navy Offshore Sailing for the Naval Academy and gave me the opportunity to assist in a boat delivery from Bermuda to Newport, RI, after the Newport to Bermuda Race. Since then I have assisted Louise on several deliveries to and from the British Virgin Islands and from Camden, ME, to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, including several ICW transits. As a result, I have been on many ocean transits in all types of weather conditions. Louise took a chance and gave me a chance, and I have been paying this forward ever since.
