Hello all!
I'm Brian, originally from Granbury, Texas. I've been in the Navy for 12 years now and stationed at NAS Oceana for 11 of them. A few years ago I learned that Norfolk base had a Sailing Center and I got my basic card (Lasers, 420 dingys, and Hobie cats) and headed out into Willoughby Bay.
Then while just bouncing around the interwebs, I found a sailing journal on the Columbia Yacht Owners Association page and decided that I should venture further from Norfolk base while I was still stationed near the bay that claims "more coast than the United States". I read up on the Catalina 25 and went to challenge to get my "Intermediate I" card. The catch was I had to bring my own crew, and I knew no one that sailed.
Long story short, I picked 2 junior sailors from my avionics
repair work center, gave them a 'crash course' and took them sailing. The challenge practical is supposed to last 2-6 hours, we were done in just over 1. That was last week. I took one of the guys, my wife, and dog out for a 3 hour sail in the Catalina 25 today and good times were had by all.
Thanks for having me!