First Mates

Lemart Presley, First Mate;

I am the owner and skipper of Jameel II, a Tartan 34C, which I keep in Baltimore's historic Fells Point, and have owned since 2004. My main cruising area is the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay. I enjoy introducing new people to sailing.

I have previously owned a Catalina 27, also named Jameel. Before that, I owned a Pearson Ariel 26.

I trace my sailing roots to Getaway Sailing School in Baltimore, I was looking for something new to do and went out for the day on a 25 ft Sonar.

It was there that I met another black sailor who was giving the lesson for the day. He asked me to take the helm and I was hooked. I enjoyed the freedom that sailing gives. The freedom of being on the water with the wind blowing in my face. Being able to go to new villages on the Chesapeake Bay like many before me, centuries ago.

Sailing to me can be adventurous, exciting, peaceful and even erotic at times. Sailing has been my passion for over a decade and hope to be able to share that passion with others in the future.

Deollo Johnsons, First Mate;

My first sailing experience was the 2003 Sankofa Odyssey trip, sailing the Dodecanese Islands of Greece. As we plied the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean that week, I felt a sense of peace, familiarity, and magic standing on the bow watching a shoreline come closer, riding the undulations of the sea, under sun and star, the wind blowing over all. Ancient mariner, pirate, buccaneer, trader-explorer, sailor...I knew this.

I did as much of the sailing part that I could every trip I went on and learned a lot. So much so that after a few trips, I was invited by Captain Robert to be a first mate on our next sailing adventure. To complete my qualification as a first mate, I took a Basic Sailing Certification Course at the Annapolis School of Sailing, learning on the same boat that is used by the Naval Academy.

Sailing for me is a sheer delight, and first mating is some of the most fun hard work I've ever had the joy of doing. Here's to raising the main...!