Resident Feature: Uncover the Delights of Chesapeake Bay Boating

Summers at the Bay!

For many Homestead Village Residents, the Chesapeake Bay has long been a source of enjoyment; a place where family memories are made, and outdoor adventures are had. From fishing, to sailing, kayaking to speed boating – the bay is a local treasure.

Chesapeake Bay Reflections: Ed and Barb Beakley’s Impactful Journey on the Bay. 

“We have fond memories of our time on the Chesapeake Bay. Our adventures began with a Four Winn’s runabout, named Dreamfinder, that we kept in Perryville and Havre Dr Grace, Maryland. Much of that time was spent on the Susquehanna Flats and fishing between Turkey Point and Love Point catching stripers and bluefish. We also did a lot of crabbing when blue crabs were plentiful.

Later we purchased a SeaRay that we called Summer Session after the part of the academic year we got to spend at the bay. Our favorite destinations were Still Pond, Fairlee Creek, Rock Hall, Saint Michaels, and Annapolis. We would raft with friends and explore the small towns. Special times included a week spent in Cambridge waiting out a hurricane and a Memorial Day weekend in Baltimore seeing the sights. However, most of our time on the bay was spent traveling with our small dog, named Chessie, anchoring overnight and finding new fishing experiences.

Although we no longer travel the bay by boat we still go there often to eat in the waterfront restaurants, camp and fish on the Bush River, and walk the many small towns on the east and west shore. Our vanity license plate says “CHESAPK” and we follow the “Save the Bay” efforts. The Chesapeake Bay will always be in our hearts.” – Ed and Barb Beakley (Mews)

Unleashing the Bay’s Thrills: Homestead Village Residents George & Helen Tudor’s Adventurous Life

“When I was sent to the Army Chemical Center, Edgewood Arsenal, MD as a draftee in 1972, I very quickly fell in love with the Bay and decided to stay close after discharge in late 1973. 

I moved to Lancaster in January 1974, and quickly met some locals who had started crewing for a wealthy farmer who owned and raced a series of large boats. I crewed on the Annapolis to Newport race, declined an invitation for the Newport to Bermuda race to attend my sister’s wedding, and spent many Octobers racing the Annapolis Yacht Club Fall Series, where we crewed the latest “Wahoo” in a fleet that usually included Ted Turner and other top boats on their way to winter racing in Florida.

I bought my first sailboat, a C&C 25 inboard, in October 1976, planning to explore the bay with no desire to race. I very quickly learned that it was very easy and a lot of fun to crew on racing boats going to the Sassafras or Still Pond almost any Saturday or Sunday. Within two years I had modified my boat to race and had a large group of friends from which to draw crew. I started racing “Polly Ester” and continued with moderate success, taking a couple of years off, until 2008 when I traded up to a 1987 Soverel 27, a balsa cored, super high-performance racing boat I named “Flapdoodle”(pictured right). I continued until 2019 when the pandemic put boating on hold, and I gave it up. 

Whether racing my boat or crewing for someone else, I always looked forward to and enjoyed long days on the water, with nothing to do except concentrate on the wind and weather and keep the boat moving toward our destination. I cannot imagine a better way to spend summers.” – George and Helen Tudor (Villa Court)

Havre De Grace Chronicles: Dr. Philip Taylor’s Sailing Journey and Beyond

Dr. Taylor (Apts.) first enjoyed boating in Cape Cod with his family at age 6. In addition to sailing (or rowing!) their small fiberglass boat, they also enjoyed canoeing and kayaking on the Charles River in Boston. He put boating on the back burner as he pursued his studies at Harvard University, and didn’t purchase his own boat until 1974 after moving to his home in the School Lane Hills area of Lancaster where he lived for the next 30 years.

Dr. Taylor invested in a Chrysler Buccaneer 18’ sail boat, and enjoyed many summers at sail—starting at Codorus State Park where he moored the boat for nearly five years. After also sailing on the Susquehanna River (in the Long Level area) but not finding it as enjoyable, Dr. Taylor finally found the perfect spot to anchor down in Havre De Grace, MD.

Less than an hour from Lancaster, the Marina at Havre De Grace offers a convenient location to keep his new boat—a 25’ Catalina—and is where he spends most weekends over the summer. He also enjoys the nearby social events, boat races, and dining opportunities!

Sail Summers with Barry Swartz

Barry (Farmstead) an avid sailor for 40+ years, sailed his 22-foot Catalina (shown) 15-20 times per year primarily on Lake Marburg in beautiful Codorus State Park, just south of Hanover, PA., and also day sailed and cruised on the Chesapeake Bay. Carole and his children sailed with him during the early years. He learned to sail in the late 70’s through a 10- week U S Coast Guard Auxiliary Sailing Course offered at the Susquehanna Yacht Club. He enjoyed the challenges of reading the weather, wind, and water to properly adjust the sails and tacking, as required, to maintain his course, all at a blistering speed of 6-7 mph. The best parts of sailing were the comradery and lifelong friends made while sailing.  Reluctantly, the Catalina 22 was sold just prior to moving to Homestead Village.

Tim Mews: A Lifelong Passion for Sailing, Championship Wins, and International Recognition

Tim (Mews) first fell in love with sailing at the young age of 10, when after helping a neighbor and their wooden sailboat, he finally got to go for a ride. After college, he was re-introduced to the sport when a friend recruited him to help on his crew as they sailed Long Level on the Susquehanna River. When Tim was married to his wife Marie in 1973, they sailed a Sunfish together in the Bahamas and upon their return to Lancaster—bought their first boat!

Fast forward to 1983; Tim and Marie together won a National Championship in the Island 17’ Class! Tim continued to race, and moved up to the J-24 Class, where he continued to win numerous trophies. He has also raced on George Tudor’s boat, the C+C!
 

In addition to the sport of racing, Tim was trained to measure J/24 Keels at the 1992 World Championships in Annapolis. From there he moved into complete J/24 boat measurement as a class measurer, then became a World Sailing certified International Measurer and finally Chairman of the J/24 class International Technical Committee. As such he has measured, run the measurement process and trained class measurers at over 30 World and Continental Championships on four continents. He retired from the International Technical Committee (ITC) Chairmanship in 2017 to spend more time sailing his own boat. Tim continues to race the Thursday evening series with the Havre de Grace Yacht Club with his expert all PA crew that includes his son Andrew of Elizabethtown. The “Mouton Noir” crew also sails several down bay races each year.