With the weather warming up it is becoming harder and harder to stay cooped up in an office, but April 28th, Team SpinSheet had the pleasure of spending a sunny Tuesday out of the office and sailing in St. Michaels.
The Inn at Perry Cabin (now owned by Belmond) is located on the shores of the Miles River and has a reputation for being the place to go in St. Michaels. Scenes from the movie Wedding Crashers were filmed there, and even the Schooner Woodwind was featured in the film. What some may not know is that the Inn is now home to a brand new sailing school.
In February 2014, the new owner of the Inn decided to start a sailing program, similar to the program at his sister resort, the Chatham Bars Inn, in Massachusetts. When inquiring about the right person for the job, Jason Pinter’s name was brought to the table.
Pinter has a long and varied career in the world of Annapolis sailing, with such places under his belt as the Annapolis Sailing School, the Chesapeake Boating Club, SAIL Magazine, and the Moorings, and so it was an easy transition for him to come to St. Michaels.
In the winter of 2014/2015, Pinter began drafting a business plan for the program; the boats were purchased, and on April 30 they officially became an ASA-affiliated sailing school. Currently the school has three sailboats, all painted “Stars and Stripes” blue: an Alerion Express 38 named Star Bright, an Alerion Sport 33 named Star Light, and the Midnight Star, which is a Tadorne 26.
Though the sailboats have only been up and running for a short time, Pinter has already witnessed two proposals, and one newlywed couple had their wedding cake and champagne while on a sunset sail.
For our sail, we took out the cream of the crop, Star Bright, complete with electric winches and a self-tacking jib. The beauty of the boat, apart from its gorgeous bright work and patriotic hull, is her simplicity. She is designed for more experienced sailors, but with her advanced technology, there is more time spent enjoying the views rather than fussing with the lines.
After loading our gear below, Pinter motored us out of the slip and around the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s harbor (CBMM), which is conveniently located right next door. CBMM is a must-see for anyone who has not yet been, and it was a special treat to view it from a different vantage point.
When we asked Pinter how he became such a great tour guide, not being a native to St. Michaels, he explained how his knowledge was gleaned from a local water-taxi driver. Pinter paid him to take him around and point out important sites on the Miles River when he first came to town, and coincidentally he later hired that same driver as a charter captain for the sailing school. Currently the school employs six captains, three of whom are ASA instructors.
After leaving the harbor, we motored out past the channel mark where we sat back and relaxed as Jason flipped a switch to raise the mainsail. From there we began to quickly pick up speed and he pulled out the jib.
Sailing upwind was a bit chillier than expected. It wasn’t long before it was necessary to break out the ski coats, mittens, and hats, despite it being a sunny, spring day. Perhaps we were still chilled from our charter fishing trip the week before…
Holly then took the wheel, and when it came time to tack, she simply turned to starboard, and we watched in awe as the main sail and jib swung to leeward without any pulling or loosening of the lines on our part.
Sailing downwind was even more of a breeze. It suddenly felt like spring again without the gusting of wind in our faces. The winter coats were ditched and we finally heard the smooth tunes of Jack Johnson from the radio with the wind now behind us. “We’re surfing now!” Pinter shouted. To have that as your office… must be nice.
For this trip I opted not to take the wheel, as tempting as it was. I was simply enjoying being a passenger, taking in the sights and sounds of the Bay, and trying to capture our experience from one of my favorite vantage points —behind the camera lens.
For more information on the sailing program, check out belmond.com/inn-at-perry-cabin-st-michaels/sailing-academy.
by Kaylie Jasinski
