Two great new sailor updates
For more than 10 years we’ve brought you inspiring new sailor stories about adults who took up the sport. This month we catch up with two such sailors to learn how they’re progressing.
A bigger boat and overnight cruises: Steuart Pittman
We first interviewed Pittman in 2023, about four years after he started sailing. In that time, he had moved up from a Newport 16 to a MacGregor 26 and was having a blast sailing out of the West River, but he wanted to go farther, have a little more space, and bring more people aboard. Plus, with his growing skills, he was ready for a boat that could sail a little better. He tells us:
Late in 2023, as a Christmas present to myself, I purchased a 1999 Hunter 380. I took possession in Baltimore and sailed it under the Key Bridge (thankfully I took some video) and back to the West River.
I’m on my Hunter every moment that I can be, and I have kept the boat in the water all winter so that I won’t miss any decent sailing days.
In mid-December I had my first experience with engine failure. I was on my way back to the dock and determined that I could sail in, but the wind died about 100 yards from my pier. I jumped into my inflatable dinghy and rowed to the dock, pulling the Hunter, and arrived safely. While I am not a mechanic, I grew up on a farm and by necessity I learned a little about fixing a tractor engine. Fortunately, I think those skills will transfer to my boat engine.
With my bigger boat I’ve expanded my cruising range and taken overnights to St. Michaels, Solomons, and Rock Hall. Although I most often sail alone, I love entertaining friends and staff aboard. One day last summer I took out my sister and three of her friends. When the wind lay down, we threw a line off the stern, my sister and her friends jumped in the water, and we pulled them along. Everyone had a great time that day. We even spotted dolphins. Another memorable guest was an older gentleman with limited vision. He was a sailor, so I have him time at the helm, and he absolutely came to life.
While I enjoy entertaining aboard, I also use my Hunter as a floating office. Either at anchor or at my slip, I’ll make phone calls, attend Zoom meetings, write, and read. The boat is a great place to go when I need a quiet place to think. My kids are gradually becoming more interested, and my wife and I enjoy sitting on the boat with glasses of wine.
In the future, I hope to explore the Bay for a week and complete a DelMarVa circumnavigation to get some bluewater experience. I still dream of sailing in the islands after my term as county executive ends in December 2026.
Sailing on the Chesapeake and beyond: Donna Clapp
It’s been over four years since I first shared my sailing dreams with SpinSheet, and it has been an incredible journey! Sailing isn’t just a hobby for me anymore; it’s a way of life. I’m so lucky that my husband, Roger, and our close friends are as passionate about it as I am.
I’m proud of how much I’ve improved, particularly with the spinnaker, on our boat WaterDog. During the 2022 Herrington Harbour Sailing Association’s Women’s Regatta, my friend Clo helped me get to know that big, beautiful sail. The wind wasn’t cooperating that day, but we gave it our all. My crew of amazing ladies came from all over the DC, Maryland, and Virginia areas, and we had an absolute blast!
My home base is the Eastport Yacht Club (EYC), where I’ve become a regular. As co-chair of the EYC cruise committee, I’m so grateful for all the memorable raftups we’ve had. The camaraderie and laughter we share out on the water are truly priceless.
In 2022, Roger and I joined The Corinthians Chesapeake Bay Fleet. Last summer, we cruised with them and our sister club, the Little Ship Club, in London. Navigating those 12-meter tides in Cornwall was an exhilarating experience, and the charming villages and our new friends made it all worth it.
Our love of sailing has even taken us to Greece twice. We bareboat chartered from Kos in 2018 and last year from Skopelos. What an incredible way to experience the beauty of the Aegean Sea!
Back home, I’m passionate about giving back to the sailing community. I am a regular race committee volunteer for J/World Annapolis Thursday night racing, and I can’t wait to volunteer with CRAB (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating) again this year. For three of the past five years, I’ve volunteered with the EYC environmental committee.
Since 2020, we have entered WaterDog in the EYC Lights Parade, and in 2024 we received a second-place award for our rendition of the Screwpile lighthouse. Many thanks to Jason Kamps, our artist, and the many hands of our WaterDog crew for turning my dream into a reality!
Every time I set sail, I discover something new. Whether it’s here on the Chesapeake or in some faraway place, I’m so grateful for all the amazing experiences and the wonderful sailing family I’ve made along the way.
