Here’s a picture taken near the start of the big 2013 Mariner Rendezvous. Skipper Anne Fogarty with crew Greg Koski are motoring #2654 TIA MARIA in the rain through the Niantic bridges out into Niantic Bay. The docile conditions pictured here quickly changed turned into a storm out in the bay with gusts to 30 knots. While most Mariners successfully fought their way to Mystic Seaport, TIA MARIA’s rudder and tiller broke while still in Niantic Bay; at the same time, her outboard stopped working. Drifting dangerously toward shore, Anne and Greg managed to set their anchor and radio for assistance. Dan Meaney, close by in #2024 CLEW-SEA-NUF, turned around and managed to take them in tow back to the launch ramp. (He then sailed over the following day to join the group at the Seaport.) Although TIA MARIA was out of action for the event, Anne and Greg simply drove over to the Seaport to join in the fun with everybody else.

Steve Creighton and Joanne McCarthy surge ahead in Mariner #1969 THE POD with Bruce Robbins in #3200 NORA ROSE close behind. They are sailing up the Connecticut River during the 2022 Mariner Rendezvous to Essex, and keen observers may notice a couple more Mariners in the far right background; a total of 16 boats participated in the event. Robert Stelpstra is sitting on NORA ROSE’s cabin top - Robert drove all the way from Quebec, Canada to join in the fun, and Bruce kindly offered to have him crew for him on the way from Niantic to Essex. He hopes to one day participate in a Rendezvous with his own boat! THE POD is actually Steve and Joanne’s second Mariner as their primary Mariner, the old-style #629 BLIND SQUIRREL, is used (quite successfully) for racing in their home waters of Brant Beach, Long Beach Island, New Jersey. THE POD, a mid-style boat, offers slightly more comfortable cabin accommodations for cruising, but she is also quite speedy on the water.

Stuart Mariner #4195 ALIKAT sails in light winds on Portage Lake, Onekama, Michigan. ALIKAT’s boom is perhaps a bit higher than most; while this may cut down on sail area and therefore boat speed, it certainly does not seem to bother her skipper, Curt Bosket, who is all smiles on this gorgeous day on the water. It also provides an excellent view forward, but Mariner sailors must be cautious about raising the boom up too high lest it inadvertently - and dangerously - catch on the backstay when tacking or jibing. ALIKAT’s bow pulpit certainly helps keep a sailor safe when working on the foredeck, and her roller-furling jib is a breeze (get it?) when sailing solo. Curt is sailing her with a working jib today with the jib sheets led through cabin top blocks and swiveling cam cleats, but she is also set up for a genoa jib as evidenced by the block on a sliding track and snubber winch - used as a handhold by one of the crew in this picture - on the starboard coaming top.

There’s no chance of mistaking this boat on the water! This is Blas Buono’s ultra-green BANDIDA, a late-style Mariner part of the Puerto Rico Mariner Fleet. She is often raced, and you can see the four sets of telltales on the mainsail leech, a series of telltales on the jib, and draft lines which help the sailors to shape the sails depending on what the wind is doing. In this picture, BANDIDA’s crew is hiking way over the side of the boat, something not allowed in Association-sanctioned races; crew are expected to keep their feet in the cockpit area. But this is a local regatta where some rules may be bent a bit, and the Puerto Rican sailors generally sail with one skipper and two crew to aid in ballasting the boat given the typically strong winds in that region.

While racing, daysailing and cruising continues all year long in parts of Florida and Puerto Rico, those of us in the northeast are chomping at the bit to get back out on the water. The snow is falling here in Connecticut as I write this, and it reminded me of this picture I have been saving for a while. This late-style Mariner in Virginia is quickly getting covered as she sits in her driveway for the winter months. Her owner didn’t have time to put a cover on her before the snow began, but no matter; she will be back in the water before too long.

Andy Stotz with wife Bonnie sail by the New London waterfront in their late-style Mariner, #3223 SHELDON JONES, during the Mariner National Rendezvous last August. Andy and Bonnie have participated in six consecutive Mariner Rendezvous so far, and they recently confirmed their attendance for this year’s event with the excited Facebook posting that their “room is reserved and ready to go!!!” They trailer SHELDON JONES all the way from Maine, making them the northern-most regular participants. Notice their gold-anodized boom; this is actually a second-hand boom taken from a slightly older Mariner built during the time when all spars were gold anodized to recognize and celebrate George O’Day’s gold medal won for sailing during the 1960 Olympics. Photo: Steve Hock.

Jose "Chupi" Bermudez smiles as he finishes putting final touches on O’Day Mariner #3122 JULEPITO. He’s getting ready for next weekend’s Festival de Vela Regatta to be sailed in Salinas, Puerto Rico. According to fellow Puerto Rican Mariner sailor Miguel Casellas, “Festival de Vela will have the participation of Optis, ILCA, 420's, Sunfish, Hobie Cats and Mariners and our Mariner fleet has decided to name it the Caribbean Midwinters. Chupi is a very accomplished sailor with lots of hours under his belt, having crewed for top notch boats around the Caribbean and doing foredeck with famous boats like TITAN, having won the Rolex Cup - St. Thomas, BVI Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week multiple times just to name a few.” Thanks to Miguel for passing along the photograph, and good luck to all Mariner sailors in next week’s regatta!