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By Elizabeth Ginns Britten —
Fall 2004
CRUISERS YACHTS CRUZ-IN, CAMBRIDGE, MD, JULY 2004—I had just arrived on Maryland’s popular Eastern Shore when I drove my rental car through the gates at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa, and Marina. It’s an impressive place: 400 rooms, a 150-slip marina, a championship golf course, three swimming pools—even an outdoor area for making s’mores. I was pretty sure at that moment that this place was going to be the highlight of the weekend’s Cruisers Yachts rendezvous, which I was there to attend.
I wandered through the reception area overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, past the upscale shops and the kids sliding into the multilevel pool. At the docks I found transoms branded with ports of call from all over the country—New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Rhode Island, and as far away as Florida. I was pretty sure then that these 100-plus, well-loved, oft-used boats would be the highlight of the rendezvous.
And then I stumbled upon Jim and Tina Erikson, who have lived aboard their Cruisers 4050, Footloose, since December, when they made the switch from a lifetime of sailing to a lifestyle of creature comforts, speed, and space. “We knew we’d be going long distances,” Jim told me, “so we needed something that’s comfortable for extended cruising. Look at the aft deck! We call it our back porch.” Tina quickly chimed in, explaining how in just one year, she and Jim had cruised from the Great Lakes to the Bahamas, then up the East Coast to this annual event—their first-ever Cruisers rendezvous. “We’ve got three TVs, a washer/dryer, tons of stowage—it’s really a floating condo,” she gushed. “We never let the grass grow under our toes. Maybe we should have named her Hauling Ass instead!”
That is when I realized that it wasn’t the resort or the dozens of powerboats that would make the Eighth Annual Cruisers’ Cruz-In such a great event. It was the people that truly made it what it was. The Eriksons are no anomaly when it comes to owners in the Cruisers family. Throughout the weekend, I met a lot of folks just like them who truly enjoy their boats, their time on the water, their chosen way of life.
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Not even the nasty rain and thunderstorms plaguing the weekend could ruin this group’s fun. Page
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