Author Archives: danharding824

The Journey.

Boating is, in many ways, a suitable metaphor for life. In both, there are times when the sun’s shinning and you’re cruising in calm conditions that you think’ll never end. Then there are times when—out of nowhere—the wind picks up and you’re braced, white-knuckled at the helm, fighting mightily in vain to get your bearings.Continue reading “The Journey.”

Let There Be Light

I watched through envy-filled eyes as boaters who had done hardly an hour’s work were lowered from the travelift to the resting river below. “How!? I mean, gahhhh, another one,” I’d stammer, pointing wildly at the carefree looking family sailing off into summer. Karen rolled her eyes and went back to varnishing. We had accomplishedContinue reading “Let There Be Light”

Finding Solitude in an Empty Metal Shed

The gravel road rumbles beneath my tires as my headlights illuminate the deserted boatyard. I shift into park, pull one last long swig from my coffee cup and walk into the empty metal shed. Rain begins to dance atop the large roof; the light pinging is a soothing soundtrack.

Boating Season 2015: A Look Back

With the holidays in our wake and a New Year creeping ever closer, it seems a fitting time to reflect on the past boating season while updating ASailingStory’s followers on where we left off. On a bone-chilling morning in late October, Karen and I motored from a nearly deserted Essex to our winter home ofContinue reading “Boating Season 2015: A Look Back”

Destination Micro-Adventure

A colleague recently turned me on to the Twitter account for Alastair Humphreys, a British adventurer whose four-year around-the-world bike trip is just a single bullet point on his expedition-filled résumé. Despite living a life most would deem clinically insane, he champions a concept that he calls the microadventure, which is just what it sounds like:Continue reading “Destination Micro-Adventure”

Deep River: A Place So Nice We Went There Twice

A few days after our last weekend cruise to Deep River I asked Karen what she wanted to do next weekend. Here’s how that weekly conversation usually plays out: “Mmm, I don’t know. What do you want to do?” “Uhhh, I don’t know. Go somewhere on the boat?” “Ok, but where?”… And it goes on like that forContinue reading “Deep River: A Place So Nice We Went There Twice”

Discovering Deep River

On a typical day most of us drive through a dozen towns, maybe more. But how many of us can say that we’ve stopped, walked around or explored any of those towns to see what they have to offer? Probably not many. Even one rainy weekends where complaints of boredom are echoed, the odds are unlikely thatContinue reading “Discovering Deep River”

Savoring Summer in Shelter Island

Leaves along Connecticut’s Route 9 had begun to trade their deep green for hints of orange and yellow; nature was showing its hand. Fall is here. With a long holiday weekend on tap the Karen Marie would be chasing the horizon at full throttle trying mightily to catch back up to summer. That’s how itContinue reading “Savoring Summer in Shelter Island”