best east coast sailing near college towns

[skisandsongs]

Hi Gang,

I'm a professor and my wife loves to sail. We owned a Hunter 26 and have chartered in the BVIs many times (up to 44') but perhaps a lake with something like a Cat 22 that she could sail herself would be best. We have a home in Florida but are looking for a second home for late May-September (and maybe even the fall semester). Where are the best places to sail near college towns? The east coast is preferred but not entirely essential. Towns where we could also bike get a plus.

Thanks for the input!

Skis n' Songs

[billsull]

Here's a some that come to mind:

Burlington, VT (Burlington College)
Ithaca, NY (Ithaca College)
Boston, MA (too many to list)
Newport, RI (Salve Regina Univ.)
Bristol, RI (Roger Williams College)
New London, CT (Conn College, USCGA, Mitchell College)
Annapolis, MD (USNA, St Johns)
Chestertown, MD (Washington College)

[Minnewaska]

Ithaca, NY is also home to Cornell University. The city is on the south shore of Cayuga lake, which is 40 miles long and the second largest finger lake. The Ivy League seems to have a thing for water.

Cornell (Ithaca/Finger Lakes)
Harvard (Cambridge/Boston Harbor)
Brown (Providence/Narragansett Bay)
Yale (New Haven/Long Island Sound)

If you are looking for lake sailing, Ithaca is your place. The two colleges dominate the culture. Second best is Providence, where you are so far up the Bay that it would be similar.

[tommays]

Dowling Collage on the Great South Bay of NY is a GREAT smaller boat sailing area

[T37Chef]

St Marys City, MD. Potomac River/Chesapeake Bay
- St. Marys College

Baltimore, MD.
- Johns Hopkins, Loyola, University of MD, and many more

Washington DC is less than an hour from the Chesapeake.

[T37SOLARE]

William and Mary, Christopher Newport and Old Dominion are all on the southern Chesapeake and have active sailing teams.

[paulk]

Bowdoin, in Brunswick, ME is close to Yarmouth, Freeport, Harpswell, Bath...
Also, if you're considering Burlington VT, the University of Vermont is more likely to have faculty openings.

[omaho5]

Well now, This brings up my favorite sailing area. You will find no better sailing from May till October than Camden Maine on the beautiful Penobscot Bay. I'm surprised that it has not been mentioned yet.
There are a number of small colleges and U. of Maine sattelites nearby.
Camden comes alive in summer. They have an active schooner fleet, great gunk holing, magnificent islands.
Google up ths area.
Contact me, if you care. I spent my youth there.

[rockDAWG]

I may as well put my choice:

Buffalo, NY. It has two great lakes and home of SUNY @ Buffalo plus many smaller colleges. Cheap to live and beautiful Summer. Toronto is two hrs away.

[mccary]

If you are ,looking for a college town near good sailing, look no further than Annapolis and The Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is an inland sea with over 4,000 miles of shoreline and 30+ rivers all with their gunkholes. It is a sailing paradise. And as colleges go, we have many, US Naval Academy and St Johns in Annapolis; University of MD Baltimore County and Univ MD At Baltimore (Law, Med School, Nursing School), John's Hopkins all in Baltimore; Univ of MD Eastern Shore (Eastern Shore MD; St Mary's College St Marys MD; University of MD College Park (just outside DC), Georgetown, George Washington, Howard University, UDC and American University all in Washington DC. VA has Merry Mount College (Arlington), George Mason (Fairfax). Add to this list scores of Community Colleges and you see the Baltimore/Washington/Annapolis area is rich with institutions of higher learning. The sailing is superb. The Chesapeake Bay is almost 200 NM long and is a rich ecosystem. In addition, the area is rich with culture with major theatre and museums and places to see and do in you non sailing time. And then there is The Annapolis Sailboat Show.