Steve,

The Hecksher crowd has thinned out this year. I don't think that there have ever been more than 5 boats on a weekend day this year. If the winds are not perfect, there is nobody there. I went there twice on a Saturday and went home because I don't like sailing alone.

Part of it is the weather, the rest is due to the fact that there are no new young people. Most everyone is at least in their late 30's. Why is it that only young Europeans are interested in high skill non-motorized sports?

I notice the same thing on hiking trails as well. Most of the younger people that I have met hiking recently are foreign. Americans are represented by the over 40's crowd. I used to run a hiking club in college in the 70's, and there where probably 30 of us. It all seems to have fizzed out.

Ironic in a society that drives SUV's that are advertised with canoes and kayaks on top, isn't it?

Malcolm