It isn’t uncommon to see pontoons or speed boats on the Ohio River, but there is something special about seeing a sailboat with its brightly colored sails popping a bit of pizazz onto the water. Joe Collins grew up on the Finger Lakes in New York and recognized the appeal of sailboats as a 7-year-old when his dad bought one.
Joe’s enthusiasm for sailing only grew with time. He got his first boat when he was 12 or 13 and says, “We lived about 10 miles from the lake that we sailed on, and so in the summertime, I would get on my bicycle, ride over to the sailing club, and go sailing by myself.” Even now, sailing means freedom to him.
Joe owns five sailboats and uses them according to different conditions. His Sunfish is a good choice when the weather is nice since it is easy to manage alone. He often goes sailing along the same waterways locally but says that he sometimes sees nesting eagle pairs. “[Plus,] river traffic can be entertaining,” he adds.
Being on a sailboat can be a solitary endeavor, but it can also be social if Joe invites friends along or competes with others as a member of the Louisville Sailing Club. “Some people say, ‘Anytime you get two sailboats together, it’s a race,’” he says.
Joe has traveled with his boat for both vacations and competitions. “I’ve sailed all up and down the East Coast, from New Hampshire to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,” he says. He has even gone so far as Hawaii, where he tried windsurfing. “That was fun getting on an airplane,” he says. “Talk about excessive baggage charge.”
By Carrie Vittitoe
P.S. Here is something else to explore.
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