Sailing Education Adventures

"Why are we standing here on land and not sailing?"In case you haven’t noticed lately, a constant and valued fixture has been missing from SEA docks. Fortunately there’s a good excuse.

Long time member and big time SEA volunteer John Paul Watts is sailing!

And, he’ not just putting around The SF Bay mentoring and inspiring the many newbie sailors as he’s done over the years. He’s accomplishing what most of us dream of doing, and that is crossing The Pacific Ocean.

Mind you, he’s not exactly wet behind the ears – see last year's story “A True 70^th Birthday Bash”. Though, after ten weeks at sea, it could prove as a fitting description. 

I started sailing when I was a baby onboard my parents Cape Dory 25 in Tomales Bay. My father has sailed since he was eight and sailing has been a family tradition.

The thing that I enjoy the most about sailing is that it can really be done anywhere around the world, providing that you have wind and water. It’s also a lot of fun in high winds.

I have had a lot of fun sailing the entire San Francisco Bay on my parents’ Catalina 30, as well as the coastal waters off Wales, and the Aegean Sea near Turkey and Greece.

I was first brought to SEA by a friend of mine who also sails and told me that the program was a lot of fun. We both ended up becoming counselors at the Youth Camp.

My favorite sailing experience would be the second sailing holiday in Turkey and Greece, stopping by whichever anchorage looked nice at the time. It allowed me to see a different part of the world and experience new cultures.

I love music and I have been playing the piano and singing for the last 11 years. I have also just recently started playing the guitar. I love most sports and I am on my university’s rugby team.

I would love to spend a long time sailing the Pacific, finding remote and unspoiled places.

Hello all,

Where are all the Catalina and Keelboat Open Sails?

They are still with us, just in a slightly different form. I am penning this note to let our membership know about the change that has been implemented. The change that has been is that our free open sails and Open Sails will now only be posted when a coordinator or skipper has been secured. This change allows for more certainty in the calendar. The goal is to book events as far in the future as possible, which at this time about about one quarter. Because the calendar is more fluid I have setup a list to let folks know when the calendar has new events added, if you would like to be on the "Catalina Open Sail" list, drop me a note and I will add your email and you will be notified when I change the calendar.

Camp Clipper raised sails at the SEA docks for 2 weeks of sailing fun this July. The instructors and crew dined like royal sea captains at FISH Restaurant, also the event co-sponsor. Twenty children of the Performing Stars of Marin, a youth advocacy group promoting enrichment programs for the underserved communities, learned about sailing, seamanship and marine habitats. SEA gives a huge thank you to FISH Restaurant, America True and Performing Stars of Marin for continuing to support this incredible program - one that has created life long memories for twenty great kids in 2011.

And, what did they have to say about it?

"It was scary, until I learned what to do. Then it was fun!"

"We saw a stingray and seals!"

"The instructors were awesome!"

Have you ever thought about becoming a skipper?  If so, consider coming out for a Mentor Sail!  This past Sunday, Chris, our skipper of the day, volunteered his time to train Eric, Joe and me (Helena).   Thank you, Chris!

As soon as I took the helm, Chris threw a floatation device overboard, and suddenly (and unexpectedly), I had to practice my skills at picking up a “COB”!  It was a great task since that’s how it would happen in the real world.  It’s not an event that you plan; it happens when you least expect it.  While I had to do a figure-eight 3 times before I got the device, it was incredible practice.  And, that’s what this day was about…practice, practice, practice.  Besides several COB exercises, Chris had us doing three jibes in a row, 360 degree turns, docking, heaving-to (and eating lunch) and sailing to a destination (and talking about our course).  We all came back to the dock excited about the next mentor sail where we’ll cover sailing by the lee, anchoring and reefing while sailing.

Shockwave and Heatwave are great Santanas – let’s get out there and use them!

Alex Carter was first introduced to sailing on Picos in Bordeaux, France. He said he had a wonderful time; however the instruction and the atmosphere were a little unsettling. When he arrived at SEA's Youth Camp, he was just out of our harbor and his sailing partner freaked out when the boat started to heel. His partner dropped the main sheet and started screaming to be let off, and Alex had to single hand the Pico back to the safety boat. According to him, while scary, that was also extremely exhilarating, and made him wanted to do it more and more. Just the feel and the knowledge that he could maneuver a boat completely by himself was astonishing and made him want to sail again and again.

For Alex, the most enjoyable part of sailing is, without a doubt, when you are in high winds and hiking out all the way, hearing the water rush under the boat is awesome. He first got on a Pico in 2009. So this makes his third year of sailing. Just like the others, his favourite place to sail is around the Marin Islands and out towards the Richmond bridge.

SEA has always been at the forefront of encouraging sailors to mind heads. You might recall instructors shouting “watch your head” during those near accidental jibes in your early sailing career. There’s also the other maxim: “Keep your head out of the boat,” meaning don’t get too caught up with what's inside the boat - ensure you keep a vigilant watch about you. 

We are proud to say SEA has continued to evolve.  And now it’s time to adopt a new maxim: "Keep the head clear!" Because if this simple habit is not developed well and practiced with intent, even the most merited sailor risks soiling his/her reputation. And, that stinks.