Editor’s Note
##Heather Irene on her 100th day.
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Wallach and ##SpinShee t contributors Cindy al Chesapeake mutu a gh throu met ll Duva yl Cher th. mon last in Mart St. in n connectio
February Friends
often tell readers that it takes a village to put together SpinSheet. Every issue requires the hard work of a dozen full-time SpinSheet staff members, a team of part-time distribution drivers, eight or so paid writers, a dozen or more enthusiastic volunteer contributors, and more volunteer photographers than we can count and one or two lightly paid ones. Since its inception in 1995, SpinSheet has been a magazine created by and for Chesapeake sailors, and we’ve always relied heavily on reader suggestions and contributions. This month a couple of special contributions and happenings came my way, so I thought I’d share them. Last June, Captain Cheryl Duvall penned an article for us called “High and Dry on the Fourth of July” about how two licensed captains found their cruising boat hard aground at anchor one weekend. She wrote the giggle-worthy line: “Sometimes you watch the show, and sometimes you are the show.” The article was amusing as well as instructive, and at the time, I’d hoped Cheryl would write more for us. Fast forward to August 1 when she sent me a postcard from Maine about the list of story ideas she’d been growing.
12 February 2024 SpinSheet.com
By Molly Winans
Recently, Cheryl and I met over coffee to discuss her ideas. As our graphic designers laid out her article for this month’s issue (see page 44), I received a photo from longtime contributor Cindy Wallach of her in St. Martin with Cheryl, whom she met through a mutual Chesapeake connection. As I clacked at my computer watching icicles on the trees sway in the breeze, to see their smiling faces together in the islands warmed my heart. Find Cindy’s latest report from the Caribbean on page 47 and expect more great writing from Captain Cheryl in the coming year. In the first three months of the year, we celebrate the achievements of the previous year’s SpinSheet Century Club. The 2023 class—our 10th and largest at 135 members—includes David Sites, the first Century Club member to log 365 days on the water in the calendar year. Yep, every day. Find highlights from his and others’ journeys on page 27. I know I write a lot about the SpinSheet Century Club, but it’s hard not to, because it’s like having a small army of “eyes and ears on the water” at all times. They bring me more story ideas and intel on sailing conditions and races
than anyone. I rely heavily upon them for photos and stories. They never disappoint. A prime example is the “See the Bay” story about Alexandria, VA (page 27). I reached out to Centurion Heather Irene Howard, an Alexandria local, for some tips. I didn’t know she’d provide enough ideas to fill two pages. Thank you, Heather Irene, for your contagious enthusiasm… Can’t wait to get back to Old Town! Those of you who saw the photo of SpinSheet Century Club member James Ronayne surfing in Annapolis during a tropical storm last summer won’t be surprised to learn that he was kayaking in the flood waters on the sidewalk of Annapolis City Dock on January 9. Find his photos on page 15. Regardless of the number of days you log on the water in 2024, we welcome your photos, story ideas, and suggestions all year long. Shoot me a note at molly@ spinsheet.com. If you sail on the Chesapeake Bay or even aspire to do so, you’re welcome in the “SpinSheet Village.” See you on the water!