Wife Clara claims that my desire to build and restore boats can be traced to Viking genes in my blood. I remind her I am of French Canadian descent with Algonquin heritage. Her rebuttal is that Vikings invaded northern Europe where my French ancestors lived.   In the 20 years we’ve lived on Rockhold Creek in Deale, I have built two boats, with a third under way, and restored two more — plus a 1949 John Deere B tractor and, now, a 1939 Allis Chalmers B tractor. Clara is still...

On a clear Saturday morning with just enough breeze, skipper Collin Linehan sits at the stern of his J22, listening to the calls of his crew. Water splashes against the hull of the racer, Funhouse Mirror, and the cool moisture from the Chesapeake relieves the temperatures of the crew on board. Linehan and his crew are competing for the J22 East Coast championship title in Annapolis, and as the sailors trim and hike, sweat beads across their foreheads. An avid sailor from Manchester,...

For six seasons, the Discovery Channel’s reality show Deadliest Catch has followed Bering Sea crab boats on their quest to find king and opilio crab. The conditions are dangerous: Freezing temperatures adding dangerously heavy ice to over-laden boats, mountainous waves careening across the decks and heavy machinery swinging overhead. This is a job where men are men and women are nearly non-existent. The perilous profession is ranked the deadliest job in America. The show is ranked as...

For 40 years, Jean Chance has been the grand dame of W. R. Chance Jewelers on Main Street, Annapolis, the family business started by her husband’s father more than 60 years ago. Now, she’s gained a grander title: Worthy Grand Dame of the Grand Chapter of Maryland Order of the Eastern Star. The Order of the Eastern Star is a tradition from her side of the family; her grandparents, father, aunts and uncles all belonged to the fraternal organization now numbering one million members in...