View from a top Charlie's mast

Invitation to the First Crusty Cruise

S. Norwood Richardson
March 25, 1969
Dear Sir:
You are cordially invited to enter your craft in a contest of endurance and perseverance commencing at the hour of 0800 on April 18, 1969, in the vicinity of the Chesapeake Bay, the intention of which is to swiftly proceed to the furthest point northwest in the Bay as of the close of that day’s daylight hours, such point being determined by the blessings of nature, skill of your crew, the whim of the Commodore and performance of your vessel, thereupon to take mooring and, having properly secured all gear, participate in the quenching of the great thirst which results from such strenuous exertions, care being exercised that, while the Captain should be exempt from such restrictions, the crew must not consume more spirits than can be tolerated by and eliminated from their systems prior to casting off on the morrow, for they will need a ready body and clear mind to meet the competition offered by the sea and the other vessels as they proceed southward at a hasty pace to a destination on the York River, whereupon there is the strong possibility of further reward of plausible seamanship in the form of double rations of beverages, with the same admonition to the crew as heretofore expressed, and other delights to the soul of the seafaring man, leaving him in condition, it is prayed, to depart that anchorage on the morning of April 20, 1969, to proceed at leisure, while partaking of proper medication and nourishment so as not to appear too exhausted upon landing, to the respective home ports, thereupon to be greeted with varying degree of hospitality and appreciation by the waiting loved ones, who may express admiration for the daring exhibited by the bold adventurers or who may express other sentiments dependent upon the condition of the participants and the vessels, no heed being taken, however, to the usual wifely complaints which would tend to dull the edge of keen self appreciation which will accrue to all those who participate in this great event, it being remembered that there are few chances left for us to test our manhood against the forces of nature and other less natural challenges.
It is hoped that, after securing your mate’s permission, you will forthwith respond in the affirmative to this invitation so that proper preparations can be made for our welcome and comfort at the ports of call and so that the proper authorities can be alerted to clear the area of our voyage of other vessels which might in some way impede our progress.
Respectfully yours,
S. Norwood Richardson
Head Captain

Crusty Cruise Sailing Schedule

A Letter from Commodore Penn Burke

It was a great weekend with 3 great days of sailing followed by Sunday which was not all that good to go North but CJ and crew must have had a great ride back to little Creek. Speaking of CJ, (Charlie’s son) we talked about the next time he showed up he would receive his own Crusty Burgee as this was his 2nd Crusty and Vickie would make one for him on his third appearance as she has done for others through out the years. This all changed after the ComCrusCru watched CJ and his crew sail into the raft of vessels and pass over their dock lines to tie up. A very Crusty move in front of a large crowd of spectators just waiting for a screw up with crash landing. But noooo, they pulled it off in fine style. I made the decision on the spot that he was getting a burgee as soon as he finished tying up and taking a swim over to his Dad’s boat. Of course Chuck pouted just briefly when I informed him that I was taking his burgee to present to CJ. He agreed that it was the right move and we had the presentation on Gadfly. Of course when I told Vickie that she needed to make Chuck a Burgee, she pouted but just briefly until I explained the situation. Following a great raft up with good music and drinking, CJ and crew broke off the raft under sail of course and looked great, heading out the East River wing on wing. The top down view of the raft was provided by Charlie after going up to measure his rigging for replacement.

Crusty Cruise - A Chesapeake Tradition

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

View from a top Charlie's mast

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