Will's First Sail

We were on the North Shore of Boston this past weekend visiting a close friend , his wife and two children in Essex, MA. Aside from an internship I did years ago at The Mullen Agency in Wenham, MA and a few side trips to Marblehead, I’d not explored the area before. Essex is pretty but rural with some access to the ocean - but a real treat was the town of Manchester (by-the-sea). Situated 32 miles from Boston, Manchester is bordered on the west by Beverly and Wenham, on the northwest by Hamilton, on the north by Essex, on the east by Gloucester, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Gloucester is the fishing port where the Andrea Gail, the boat in Sebastian Junger’s tale, “The Perfect Storm,” was based. Like any New England town, Manchester is full of history but what struck me was its gorgeous harbor…where my parents, who are retired and cruising aboard a 46-foot sloop, picked up a mooring to visit with us on Saturday. Yesterday morning before driving back we took my three-year old, Will, out for a sail with his Granddad (affectionately known as “Big Dad”) – it was his inaugural sailing experience on a big boat and, after exploring all the nooks and crannies below, he took right to it topside. It was the first in what I hope to be many opportunities for us to sail together. A very nice moment that I will remember for a long time.