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 May 2005 Back to Table of Contents Back to Archives Main Page Section: Life & Leisure Sailors’ Delight By Maria Scrivani “It was one of those perfect flat-lake evenings with a delightful offshore breeze. We spent the whole night sailing between Olcott and Niagara-on-the-Lake.”
For two busy professionals, that means every weekend and some summer evenings. Around here, boating season is, at best, about six months long, starting from the time eager sailors spend prepping in early spring until reluctantly winterizing a vessel over some chill autumn days. An April snowstorm this year delayed Wahl’s ritual of cleaning, checking, waxing and painting. It was a minor setback — he and Heim are on the water as usual these May weekends. Their home port is Olcott, where they keep “Ariel”, their Freedom 25 performance cat-boat. With a freestanding mast and no rigging, they don’t need the same crew other boats require. Still, Ariel sleeps six (“that’s six very good friends,” says Heim), and has a galley (kitchen) and head (bathroom — but no shower — “that’s what yacht clubs are for,” Wahl jokes) for comfortable cruising. Over the course of a summer they will travel several times back and forth across Lake Ontario. Non-boaters who see the shore as a place to sit and sun may be unaware of the appeal this region holds for their sailing friends. “From our home port in Olcott we can easily be in over 40 ports within an easy day’s sail,” says Wahl. “Toronto alone has 16 yacht clubs and several marinas.” He adds that Buffalo has the “fourth or fifth largest resident racing fleet in the country. There are up to 125 boats racing in Buffalo every Wednesday night, and most Sunday mornings.” He and Heim have won more than their fair share of racing pennants, too many to hang on their boat. “Ours isn’t really a racing boat,” says Wahl, “but we do okay, with the right wind.” Racing is just icing on the cake for this couple, who sail for the sheer pleasure of being out on the water. Over the years they’ve enjoyed winter sailing vacations in more exotic locales. Wahl, who’s something of a gourmet cook, has constructed Thanksgiving dinner below deck on several memorable November trips to the Caribbean. One day soon they plan to sail around the glamorous ports of Southern France. Adventurous wanderings appeal, but Wahl and Heim are committed Western New Yorkers. Even the notoriously bleak summer of last year didn’t faze them — short of a serious storm, boaters go out in weather that would keep indoors any self-respecting beach bum. “I have lots of foul-weather gear,” says Heim. “Last year we had to wear it more often.” As far as the relatively short season here, Wahl is a nautical philosopher. “It’s like getting a new boat every spring when we first get back to it. If you’re sailing year-round, you could get tired of it. We never do.” What he likes about sailing is that it’s a constant learning experience. The challenge of racing hones your skills, so when you’re just out cruising you’re that much better at it. “But the best part is the solitude,” Wahl says, “those moments when you cut the motor, raise the sails, and just forget about your wristwatch.” Think of it as sailors’ delight, and maybe think about giving boating a try this summer. Folks like David Wahl and Sharon Heim are happy to welcome you aboard. back to top back to table of contents Current Issue | About Forever Young | Where to Find | Advertise | Our Advertisers | Community Calendar | Contest | Clubs | Contact Us | Archives | Home |
