June 21 will be the longest day of 2013, it’s the summer solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is closest to the sun. What will you do to make the most of your day? I can tell ya what some sailors will be doing, they’ll be celebrating “Summer Sailstice” which is celebrated annually on the weekend closest to the summer solstice.
Founded in 2001 by John Arndt, this intimate event has grown and has become an international event celebrated across the globe in the Americas, Asia and Europe. I live near one of SAIL magazine’s top 10 sailing destinations in the U.S., Charlotte Harbor (Southwest Florida, not North Carolina!), so I imagine I’ll see all sorts of sails on the water June 22.
I received a press release about the event – this is the first I’ve learned about it – and here are the highlights of what you need to know about Summer Sailstice:
- If you’re a sailor, upload your sailing plans onto the SummerSailstice.com site and you could win a cruise in the Caribbean or any of dozens of other prizes including charters, gear, boating services, and more! Sailors can also win prizes by entering one of the many Summer Sailstice contests. You can join in events near you with fellow sailors, or be the spark and organize an event yourself.
- You don’t even have to register to take part in Summer Sailstice – on June 22nd just set out on the water with thousands of other sailors to celebrate the joys of sailing. The benefit of registering ahead of time is you’ll be better informed about everything that’s going to be happening that day, can enter contests and prize drawings, and the event can keep a better count of how many participants they have.
- If you don’t have a boat to sail but you’re an experienced sailor, you can visit the event sponsor, Cruzin.com, and register for America’s first boater-to-boater™ charter marketplace where you can rent boats from fellow sailors.
- Through a partnership the ocean conservation non-profits, Sailors for the Sea and Ocean Conservancy, Summer Sailstice strives to inform and mobilize sailors, their families and communities to enjoy and conserve the beauty of the oceans while raising awareness of human impacts on the fragile marine environment and wildlife.
After dealing with unloading the fishing boat after my former husband passed away, I’m not sure if I would ever want another boat. If things were different back in 2008, maybe I would have held onto it and perhaps get involved with CRUZIN.
It’s America’s first fully-insured peer-to-peer boat rental and charter marketplace. Boat owners can turn their boats into sources of income, renting out their boats to pre-screened, qualified renters, knowing that their boat is covered by $1,000,000 in insurance from the world’s largest marine insurer during the time that their vessel is being operated by a CRUZIN renter. Visit Cruizin.com for additional information.
To all you sailors out there, happy sailing!
