Skipper - R. Harris

The skipper sailed for the first time during college in dinghies in New England but did not begin sailing seriously until 1975 when he bought a Cape Dory daysailer (15' centerboard, sloop rigged).

In 1976, he completed the Offshore Sailing School's Beginner's course and in 1978 its Cruising Course. He also took a Coastal Piloting navigation course from a Coast Guard officer during which time he also learned the basics of celestial navigation.

In the meantime, he had moved up to a C&C 25 (sloop) with which he was active in racing (PHRF) and cruising on the Hudson River. In 1977, with this boat, he took first place in the Viking Marina Fall Race Series.

His present boat, Basia Mille (C&C 29), was purchased in 1977 and first sailed in the summer of 1978. With a larger boat, cruising and racing options expanded. In the next seven years the boat raced in a number of Hudson River events, the Governor's Cup in New York Harbor and the Round Long Island Race. On cruising vacations on Long Island Sound and trips to Block Island, Newport and Martha's Vinyard, the skipper gained experienced in overnight and open water sailing.

During the winter, the skipper twice participated in chartering 44' cruising yachts in the Caribbean sailing to St Vincent, St Lucia, Martinique and a number of the Grenadine Islands in the southern Caribbean. During these trips he gained experience in managing larger boats, especially in navigating in poorly mapped areas with numerous coral and rock hazards. He also learned various anchoring techniques useful in adverse condition such as strong wind and currents, difficult holding ground and crowded anchorages.

Moving to Chicago in 1985 brought about a different kind of experience since Lake Michigan is a large open body of water with few major ports and almost no other inlets or protected anchorages. Cruising was less interesting and longer distance racing became more important. Besides club racing, Basia Mille and her crew took part in a number of long distance and overnight races (MORF) in the years 1985-1989. The skipper was twice invited to participate in the classic 333 mile Chicago to Mackinac Island race aboard a highly competitive J35. The 1987 race was a record speed breaker with the J35 finishing in about 30 hours.

In 1990, the skipper moved to his present home in the Philadelphia area. The Basia Mille spent a few years on Sassafras Creek on the upper part of the Chesapeake Bay where the skipper mostly sailed solo on day sails. Basia Mille is a deep draft sailboat (5' 3") so the skipper gained a lot of experience in getting the boat off the mudbanks and sandbars that are prevalent in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake.

After a few years, the Basia Mille was brought its present location in Philadelphia on the Delaware River to be more convenient for the skipper to sail on short notice or to get toghether with a growing number of friends in the area that like to sail. There are only two major challenges in sailing the Delaware: (1) sufficient wind to sail in the peak summer months and (2)avoiding the significant number of large ships and cruise boats, especially during night sailing when solo. Also the river is not very wide so there is plenty of practice tacking!

For the past four years the skipper has also been sailing on chartered boats from 36 to 43 feet on trips on arranged by the Philadelphia Sailing Club ("PSC"). Many of the trips have been weekends on the Chesapeake Bay but in July 2007 the skipper sailed the Maine Coast on a 7 day PSC trip in the Mount Desert Island vacinity. In addition to the cruises it facilitates, PSC offer opportuniteis to learn by sailing alongside its experienced members and attending it monthly meetings during which sailing skills and experiences are frequent topics.

In 2005, to improve his skills the skipper took a diesel engine maintenance and trouble-shooting course from Mack Boring (a major marine engine dealer and service organization).