History
In November 1973, ten members of the Mid-Atlantic Soaring Association, who were also interested in sailing, purchased a Victory 21, and in 1974 the group incorporated as the Mid-Atlantic Sailing Association, Inc. Their bylaws and incorporation papers were, with minor changes, identical to those of the soaring club.
The boat, which was purchased from a friend and co-worker of Peter Kern, one of the founding members, was a fixed-keel sloop powered by a one horsepower Seagull outboard engine. The boat was based at the Ft. McNair Yacht Basin, at the end of Second Street SW, Washington, D.C., next to the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. In the early years it was an interesting experience while sailing on the river to be passed by the U.S. Coast Guard escorting the Presidential Yacht, Sequoia. Also for a short time, our dock was next to the dock of a seaplane company that flew DC to New York shuttles, landing on the water. However, that enterprise was not financially successful and did not last too long.
In May 1989, the Victory 21 was replaced by a Catalina 22 and, after enduring several mast failures, that boat was upgraded March 2000 to a Catalina 25. When the new floatable docks were installed at the Washington Sailing Marina, we moved the boat there, and that is where our Potomac River boat is docked today.
Meanwhile, June 1999 we acquired a Rhodes 19 located in Selby Bay on the South River. This was MASA’s first opportunity to establish a presence on the Chesapeake Bay. May 2002 we upgraded the Rhodes 19 to a Catalina 22 and moved the boat to a marina on the Rhode River. We then swapped boats so that the Catalina 22 was docked at the Washington Sailing Marina and the Catalina 25 was in the Rhode River available for sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Since then both boats have been upgraded to better meet the needs of our members. September 2008 the Catalina 22 was updated to a Catalina 25, and then July 2014 it was replaced by a Catalina 27, our current Potomac River boat. This boat was renamed Glider commemorating the club’s founders. In 2009 the Catalina 25 on the Rhode River was upgraded to a Pearson 30 and moved to Hartge Yacht Harbor on the West River. Finally, this boat was upgraded to an O'Day 322 (Tinker's Toy) June 2016.
Learn more about how our sailing club works:
The boat, which was purchased from a friend and co-worker of Peter Kern, one of the founding members, was a fixed-keel sloop powered by a one horsepower Seagull outboard engine. The boat was based at the Ft. McNair Yacht Basin, at the end of Second Street SW, Washington, D.C., next to the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters. In the early years it was an interesting experience while sailing on the river to be passed by the U.S. Coast Guard escorting the Presidential Yacht, Sequoia. Also for a short time, our dock was next to the dock of a seaplane company that flew DC to New York shuttles, landing on the water. However, that enterprise was not financially successful and did not last too long.
In May 1989, the Victory 21 was replaced by a Catalina 22 and, after enduring several mast failures, that boat was upgraded March 2000 to a Catalina 25. When the new floatable docks were installed at the Washington Sailing Marina, we moved the boat there, and that is where our Potomac River boat is docked today.
Meanwhile, June 1999 we acquired a Rhodes 19 located in Selby Bay on the South River. This was MASA’s first opportunity to establish a presence on the Chesapeake Bay. May 2002 we upgraded the Rhodes 19 to a Catalina 22 and moved the boat to a marina on the Rhode River. We then swapped boats so that the Catalina 22 was docked at the Washington Sailing Marina and the Catalina 25 was in the Rhode River available for sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.
Since then both boats have been upgraded to better meet the needs of our members. September 2008 the Catalina 22 was updated to a Catalina 25, and then July 2014 it was replaced by a Catalina 27, our current Potomac River boat. This boat was renamed Glider commemorating the club’s founders. In 2009 the Catalina 25 on the Rhode River was upgraded to a Pearson 30 and moved to Hartge Yacht Harbor on the West River. Finally, this boat was upgraded to an O'Day 322 (Tinker's Toy) June 2016.
Learn more about how our sailing club works: