New storefront in Eastport will stock sailing boats, parts, and gear.
The fact that small-boat sailing is a very small world will directly benefit Annapolis-area (and beyond) sailors this month, as Annapolis Sail Works opens a storefront in Eastport.
How small of a world is it? Annapolis Sail Works owners Jeff Daigle and Jake Crespin met each other when Jake bought the house next door to Jeff the day Jeff was putting his house up for sale. Lucky for us, the story doesn’t end there: They both have kids in local racing programs, so they likely would have met anyway. Jake and Jeff have lots in common, too: Both grew up sailing on Long Island Sound, raced in college (Jeff at Texas Maritime Academy; Jake at Kings Point Merchant Marine Academy), had military careers (Jeff with the U.S. Coast Guard, Jake with the U.S. Marine Corps), and sail with their kids on Melges 15s, among other on-water adventures.
As they wound down their military careers, more shared themes emerged. “We enjoyed a fortunate mix of a passion for sailing and incredibly supportive wives, so we decided to take a run at building a sailing business together,” noted Jeff.
Initially, they built Annapolis Sail Works as an online presence and a trailer packed with high-quality gear to support dinghy events.
“We realized Annapolis could be well served by a dinghy-focused store that helps people sail fast and have fun. We wanted to start small, so we opened our online business and focused our effort on bringing a mobile store to local regattas and clinics to provide on-site support,” Jeff said. “The trailer was a great way to get started and support local sailors but was limited to event support. It became clear a more permanent and reliable solution for our customers was needed to support the demand in the Annapolis sailing community.”
They embarked on some research, visiting dinghy shops in the United States and abroad, to explore what might work well in Annapolis.
“When the time came to commit to a brick-and-mortar solution, a great mentor of ours from the onset, Bob Adam of Zim Sailing, had already encouraged Mary Hoffman of Yacht Haven of Annapolis to get in touch with us,” Jeff explained. “We were lucky to find the right place at the right time. We remain incredibly thankful to Bob and Mary for their respective roles in the process. We now have the space we need, and we are within walking distance to the majority of the racing action in town.”
Jeff and Jake will be at the ready with pretty much everything you’ll need to succeed on the water: “We sell boats, parts, and gear. We have worked really hard to identify and stock the items sailors in our area need to sail comfortably in the Chesapeake year-round. We are dealers for several premier sailing parts manufacturers, to include Harken, Allen, Ronstan, and Barton, and are the U.S. distributor for LIROS ropes. We sell Melges, Zim, Element 6, and RS boats and Armstrong Foils. We also sell Dynamic Dollies, Colie Covers, and Vakaros sailing instruments.”
Their gear list includes top-notch providers as well: They carry Rooster, Gill, Zhik, and several other brands. There is nothing like being able to try on a few wetsuits or PFDs before purchasing the one that fits you best rather than hoping for the best when shopping online!
Jake and Jeff know that accessibility to boats, parts, and gear is key to supporting sailing. “Our mission is to grow the sport of sailing. While local racers and recreational sailors are our primary audience, we want to expand that focus. We aim to make it easier for anyone to get into sailing and to support local clubs and organizations in bringing in new members or students,” said Jeff.
Great gear, happy people, and a wonderful mission and vision? Sounds like a winning combination!
The shop is at 326 First Street, at the end of the building right on First Street across from Severn Sailing Association and Eastport Yacht Club. As you read this, their planned May 1 Grand Opening may have come and gone. Keep an eye out for their hours, which will fluctuate seasonally but will align with local racing and club activity.
Jeff notes that “If you need gear or parts to get out on the water for weekly races, we’ll be ready to help.”
Check out annapolissailworks.com for details and offerings.
by Kim Couranz
About the Author: Kim Couranz has earned several national and world titles in Laser Radials (ILCA 6), Snipes, and Lightnings. She has also raced J/22s, J/24s, and Ynglings on an international level.
