Poland-Made Sailboat Takes First Trip from Port Washington Harbor

A little piece of Poland launched in the Port Washington marina this week after Dennis and Barb Walters received the final piece for their Delphia 47-foot sailboat.

The Walters have been working diligently since June to add some finishing touches to their new boat, imported from Poland, before setting sail.

"We first saw a Delphia boat in a boat show in Saint Petersburg, Florida, several years ago," Barb said in an e-mail. "After having the Catalina for six seasons we knew what we would like to have in the next boat: twin wheels, teak decks, linear galley, two heads, sleeping for six or eight, plenty of storage, bow thruster, electric winches, and new."

Barb's husband, Dennis has been "engaged in boating his whole life," she said. The couple have sailed up and down both coasts of Lake Michigan. This isn't the first boat Dennis has worked on.

"With his dad, they totally rebuilt a 27-foot Seabird Yawl in 1959," Barb said. "Then, in 1965, they moved up to a 43-foot Abeking and Rasmussen custom wooden yawl built in Germany in 1957, which we took over in 2003. After tiring of the intense spring maintenance, Denny and I switched to a six-year-old fiberglass Catalina 400 (40-foot sloop) in the spring of 2006. This year we traded that in for our firstnew sailboat."

While they hope for smooth sailing, not everything can always go according to plan. The two had hoped to have the new boat in the water at the end of June, but necessary parts that were being shipped had yet to arrive. By July 4, the Walters family had a lottery for the "in-the-water" date.

"Our family shares our love of boating," Barb said. "There are 14 of us, so we needed a large craft to host the group when we all get together. Our two sons, Richard and Glenn are the alternative captains when we are not on board. In the past, they probably used our boat more than we did since they live in Port. But, not any more! We plan to use it as much as we can since Denny is close to retirement."