THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509160367
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
There will be a salty special guest at this year's Moth boat regatta.
Millicent Taylor Williamson, the 50-year old granddaughter of the sea captain who designed the first Moth, will be watching the races and perhaps even sailing one of the racers.
``Naturally, as one of Capt. Joel Van Sant's grandchildren, I've always been a sailor but most of my experience has been crewing offshore in larger sailboats,'' said Williamson at her Charleston, S.C., home.
Williamson teaches business courses in a Charleston high school.
``I grew up sailing in Florida and elsewhere,'' Williamson said, ``But I never had much interest in Moth boats until I discovered a 40-year-old Moth last year.
``I suddenly realized that it was the kind of sailboat that was first built by my grandfather,'' she continued, ``and then nothing would do except that I buy that old boat and restore it.''
Williamson has been busy scraping, re-rigging and refinishing the Moth at her Charleston home, but couldn't complete it in time to enter this year's regatta.
``Erky Gregory told me he'd try to find a Moth for me to sail while I'm in Elizabeth City,'' she said, ``I've been doing quite a lot of sailing in smaller boats, so I'll be ready for the old Moth when I finish it.'' by CNB