Life’s twists and turns take people down strange and often unique paths.

John Sams and his wife Robin were stopped at the Columbia dock on the night of Sept. 5, 2013 before a race at the Colington Harbor Yacht Club in Kill Devil Hills on Sept.7.

“It is basically four yacht clubs in the Albemarle Sound. We had it at Edenton back in the spring.  It will be at the Pasquotank Yacht Club next Saturday,” said Sams.

Three racers from Edenton will be featured at the event. About twenty-five total participants will appear from locations across North Carolina.

“At the end they tally up who won the most points, and they give you a trophy,” said Sams.

Those who go to the four total yacht club races and finish in the top three places will receive a trophy.

Sams emphasized that he and his wife just go to enjoy themselves at the race.

A tour of Sams’ 1986 model boat revealed a variety of features.

Solar panels ordered online were a nice addition.

“At night you do not want to run your engine all night long. So you have batteries that run all your power. The panels extend the life of your batteries. Right now they are charging the batteries, when we are not running an engine or anything,” said Sams.

Most powerboats come in and they have to plug into a pier.

So having the solar panels was convenient for a stay at Columbia’s dock where there is no electricity.

“Where we lived in Edenton, we have twenty-one panels on our roof,” said Sams.

A relaxed boat trip from Edenton to Columbia takes close to four hours.

One route from Columbia to Edenton might include following the Scuppernong River until it empties out into the Albemarle Sound. Then it is a short trip down the Albemarle Sound about ten miles and then a quick jaunt down Edenton Bay.

Sams and his wife come to Columbia once or twice a year.

Boat trips are part of their regular life of travel.

“Normally we are gone for like two months at a time. We have gone as far as the Bahamas,” said Sams.

Sams said that he and his wife were planning to stop in Elizabeth City as well after visiting the Outer Banks before ending their journey back in Edenton.