Do what you love and love what you do!
That's our motto on the Summer Wind. When sailing gets in your blood, there's nothing quite like it. We could get real jobs, but where's the fun in that? At American Sailing Tours, we're all lifelong sailors who just can't get enough of the sea and the salt air and we love to share our enthusiasm for sailing with everyone we meet.
"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Everyone is familiar with this quote from Kenneth Graham and we try to live by it on the Summer Wind. It's a great summer job and we thank you for the opportunity to share a little bit of it with you.
Join us for a sail and you can mess about in boats too.....
Tom Kirwan
Captain. Cap'n Tom is an accountant and attorney in his "other life" and a lifelong sailor who also crews aboard the tall ship Kalmar Nyckel of Delaware. He's a Coast Guard licensed Captain who grew up in Maine, sailing from Bar Harbor and Camden in the too brief summers. As "Skipper" of the Summer Wind, he's responsible for all the ships systems and keeps everything ship-shape. He's also a Red Cross certified First Responder, so he keeps the people ship-shape, too. He lives in Marlton, NJ with wis wife Linda and son Sam, the First Mate.
Walt Garson
Captain. Captain Walt is a Coast Guard approved and experienced OUPV captain and has been operating various craft on the river as well as the bay and near shore for about 25 years. His experience ranges from a 25 foot tender used to transport work crews rebuilding a Coast Guard range light located at the Sandy Hook Channel, to volunteering as a deck hand on the 75 foot schooner, North Wind, out of Gloucester City on the Delaware river. He is a very conscientious individual who knows the river very well and is adept at operating a vessel in a safe manner. Walt is in his second year aboard the Summer Wind.
Sam Kirwan
First Mate . At 15 Sam's a little young to be an officer, but he knows what he's doing. He's a true "son of a son of a sailor" and has been around boats of all sizes his whole life. He traveled up and down the coast in the search for the Summer Wind. Now he spends his summers at the helm, working the boat up and down the river just enjoying the sun and a good breeze. If you're lucky, you might get to meet his sea-dog Frodo.
Tom & Amanda Quinn
Crew. Tom and Amanda hail from Colorado, where the ocean view really isn't very good. But the sea calls to them, so they packed up their stuff and headed for the coast. They started sailing in California and somehow ended up here. They're spending the sailing season working and living on the Summer Wind and working on their own Captain's licenses. It won't be long before they have their own boat and head off for blue waters, but we're lucky to have them now.
Ahoy there!
It's easy to contact us. For ticket information, call 215-900-7758. To contact the ship directly or to inquire about private charters, just email us here: