Well the summer is winding down as the kids go back to school, and the temperatures start to fall.  Some of us are feeling a bit bummed by this, but some of the best sailing is on the way.  Fall is the time for strong winds and beautiful surroundings.  As the leaves start to turn there is no better place to be than on the water.  The mountains on both sides provide an amazing setting with the water all around and the reflections on the water of fall colors on the trees.  Last summer I had the privilege of working for the Green Mt Club and spent the early part of the fall on the top of Mt Abe.  The views for the tops of the mountains are spectacular but the times I went out on the water and saw the fall colors from the lake perspective it seems to be a whole other world.  The feel is also different, even though you have the wind in your hair for both the splashing of the water against the hull and in your face puts you in another place and transfers your problems far, far away.  Now that happens anytime of year with sailing, but having the beauty of the fall coloration of the trees kicks it up a notch.  No matter where you are or what you’re doing, fall is a great time of year.  I invite you to take your fall leaf peeping this year out on the lake and get a wide perspective of our beautiful landscape.

As summer winds down here at the CSC, mornings and evenings are becoming quite chilly and sailors are becoming fewer and further between.   One might think that this would make for a boring work day, but indeed there is still a lot going on here on the waterfront.  Our staff is hard at work planning and carrying out our great fall programming, continuing our rental program, and preparing the facility for the winter.   Even though our summer youth camps and adult classes are over, private lessons and other new activities, such as the Youth Environmental Stewardship Program, are in full swing.

One exciting change that has taken place is that the UVM sailing team is now here almost every day, rigging their fleet of FJs and creating a multi-colored spectacle of synchronized sailors out on Burlington Bay.  They are a fun, energetic group and are ready for a great season of collegiate sailing – something that our summer campers can look forward to in the future.  Another lively bunch is our Northern Vermont High School Sailing team, coached by our own great instructors, Justin and Mike.  Though not quite as advanced as the UVM group, they bring a level of excitement about sailing on which we here at the CSC thrive.

Even though the weather is cooling off and the hours of daylight are dwindling, the Community Sailing Center is still fully enjoying our last month or so of summer – come on down and join us!

These last couple of weeks I’ve been thinking alot about fear.  Fear is a natural response to situations we think are dangerous or are unfamiliar.  Sometimes fear is warranted, sometimes it is not.  Fear of the unfamiliar can paralyze us and prevent us from doing something that we may truly have enjoyed, if we could have overcome our apprehension. For example, its natural and beneficial to fear being far from shore on the water, after all humans can only swim so far
before tiring and needing something to float on.  But if we can replace fear with respect we can achieve more than we might first imagine.   In fact, as the initial thrill of overcoming a challenge wears off, it is often replaced by a desire to learn more.   During the last couple of weeks I’ve mostly been teaching 3 hour group lessons to students with very little or no previous sailing experience.  In each group there’s usually at least one, and sometimes several, individual(s) who has a strong fear of the lake.  I think one of the most rewarding parts of my job as an instuctor is when I can help someone change their fear of the lake into respect for the lake.  Often times, and especially with my younger students, the best remedy is to take them out on the boat and show them that its ok and there’s
nothing to worry about.  Before long they’re eager to help steer the boat and trim the sails, while keeping a lookout for Champ (the friendly lake monster), and they get so busy that they forget to be scared.  I can see how their new found respect for the water will blossom into a love for sailing.

In the hours and days following the news that Ted Kennedy had succumbed to the brain cancer with which he had lived for over a year, the encomiums that followed were prodigious and predictable. Kennedy, who at the time of his death was the second-longest serving member of the United States Senate, was widely (and quite rightly) extolled for being the firebrand he so often was, the official standardbearer of a certain type of hardheaded and pragmatic liberalism – Kennedy Liberalism, one might call it – characterized by the belief that government should, above all else, provide for its citizens. As the biographical details of his political and personal life were picked up, dusted off, and mulled over, we were treated at length to renderings of Ted Kennedy the Senator, the Health Care Advocate, the Patriarch, the Failed Presidential Candidate, the Lion, the Survivor. Whatever the angle, there existed, throughout many of these portraits, what amounted to mostly fleeting references, anecdotes, or asides to a role that Kennedy took up with particular zeal and relish, one that very likely looms large in the mind of those with any sort of impression of the late Senator: Ted Kennedy the Sailor.

This was the Kennedy who, upon his release from the hospital in May 2008, following his initial diagnosis, proceeded forthwith to his wooden schooner, the Mya, so he might race in the Figawa, an annual Memorial Day regatta from Hyannis, MA to Nantucket, in which he had participated for nearly 30 years. Upon returning to the Senate later that summer, following a brief convalescence, Kennedy was presented by his close friend and colleague Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) with a song, “Headed Home”, written by Hatch and Phillip Springer (who wrote “Santa Baby” for Eartha Kitt, in 1953). The song, overwrought though it was, meant a lot to Kennedy, as it metaphorically associated his return to the Senate – for what would be his 47^th and final year – with the sport that, since foregoing the opportunity to play for the Green Bay Packers in favor of a career in politics, in the late 1950s, had become his consuming passion, with the refrain, “America, America, we’re sailing home, we’re sailing home.” “Everybody who hears it, loves it,” Hatch said of his song at the time, hyperbolizing just a tad, one imagines.

Sailing, it seems, had long been for Kennedy the reward at the end of a long workweek. In honoring Kennedy last week, Senator John Culver (D-Iowa) shared a story with mourners gathered at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library, in Dorchester, Massachusetts, one from the summer of 1953, when he and Kennedy were both attending Harvard’s summer school. “One Friday, Ted said to me, ‘Why don’t you come with me this weekend to the Cape. There’s going to be a sailboat race called the Nantucket Regatta, and I want you to be part of my crew.’” Culver, grateful as he was for the invitation, nevertheless declined, reminding Kennedy that he came from Iowa and, as such, had never been on a sailboat. “The only boats I ever saw were barges on the Mississippi River,” Culver quipped. Kennedy, assuring Culver that there was “nothing to it,” finally persuaded the Iowan to join him. Driving south on Massachusetts Route 3, from Boston to Hyannis, Kennedy and Culver caught a news bulletin that warned of an incoming storm system, and strongly advised all recreational crafts to get off the water at once. “Well, I guess sailing’s off,” Culver said, upon listening to the report. “Oh, there’s nothing to it,” Kennedy responded.  At about 4 o’clock that afternoon, the two young men went down to the docks at the Kennedy Compound, where the 26-foot sailboat Victura, belonging to then-Senator Jack Kennedy, was cleated. “I did what I could to help us get out in the water, but there were huge waves by now. There was thunder and lightning. The sky was black. And he’s at the tiller, or whatever it’s called, and suddenly this friend of mine, who I thought I knew quite well, starts screaming at me. After a while, I was more terrified of him than the storm. And he kept screaming at me, The spinnaker! The jib! Portside! We’re bouncing all over, and it’s my fault. And we only got two hundred yards out, and I lost the [previously prepared] sandwiches…I’ve never been so miserable in my life.” After reaching Nantucket, and thereafter convincing a salesman from Cambridge – who, for his part, had little to no sailing experience either – to be the requisite second crew member, Kennedy met the qualifications for the regatta.  “The races start and all I remember is Ted yelling and yelling, for me to get up on the left side of the boat, and him the right side. I couldn’t see what was happening, but we kept going around and around, in circles. Somehow, at some point, this race was mercifully over…and Ted seemed satisfied. I had no idea why. And I was satisfied, probably because I had lived through it.”

At his funeral on Saturday, Kennedy’s son, Edward Kennedy, Jr., similarly spoke of his father’s dedication to the sport, and his memories of sailing together when he was a child, near their home in Hyannis. “During the summer months, when I was growing up, my father would arrive late in the afternoon from Washington on Fridays and as soon as he got to Cape Cod he would want to go straight out and practice sailing maneuvers on the Victura in anticipation of that weekend’s races. And we’d be out late, and the sun would be setting, and the family dinner would be getting cold, and we’d still be out there practicing our jibes and our spinnaker sets long after everyone else had gone ashore. One night, not another boat in sight on the summer sea, I asked him, ‘Why are we always the last ones on the water?’ ‘You see,’ he said, ‘most of the other sailors that we race against are smarter and more talented than we are, but the reason we’re going to win is because we’ll work harder than them, and be better prepared.”

Sailing was, furthermore, a way for Kennedy to contextualize and find peace with the many tragedies that touched his life. Kennedy biographer Lester David wrote that, after his brother Bobby’s murder in June, 1968, “Ted sought consolation from the sea aboard the Mira, a rented yawl, sailing alone westward on Natucket Sound, past Wood’s Hole and up into Buzzard’s Bay. Or he would cruise north along the coast, as far as Maine, for days at a time, watching the changeless sea.”

In the last weeks of his life, as he began to have trouble speaking, Kennedy would steal his energy for those days in which the breeze over the North Atlantic picked up. Less than two weeks before his death, his nephew, Robert Kennedy, Jr., spoke to the media about his uncle: “He’s sailing. I saw him out on the boat yesterday. He’s going…every day.”

So the High School sailing team is back underway for their fall season and I’m the assistant coach.  It’s kind of weird; I was on this team back when it first started.  I was one of the first groups of people that got this opportunity.  Now I’m one of the people that are helping to give that same thing to these students as well.  Looking back for me the High School sailing team was one of the best experiences I had in High School.  I met my girlfriend during those times, even though we haven’t been dating quite that long.  But this team is one of those things that you don’t forget throughout the years.  There’s not much better than being out with a group of friends on the water and these are kids from all different schools in Chittenden County.  I’m still great friends with most of the people that I was on the team with.  We still keep in touch and go racing together and this is all due to the fact that we were given the opportunity to race together for years.  Most of us went on to college sailing, or instructing in sailing at some point in their lives.  It’s good to see all these kids here taking part in this as well.  I can really see myself about 10 years ago in them.  Its really nice to see the amount of students that have taken an interest in this sport and I hope that it continues to get bigger and bigger as the years,  progress.

The Fall 2009 High School Sailing season is in full gear!  With the promise of sunny skies and big breeze, we have another huge turnout for the Fall 2009 sailing season.  We held our first official practice on Monday with a steady 8 knot breeze and warm temperatures.  We had another record turnout with 36 sailors out on the water for the first day.  Fortunately we had all twelve of our 420’s in full working condition for the busy first day.  Most of the sailors had been practicing their skills all summer.  Many sailors raced in the popular youth events held down on Lake George, such as the Cheeseburger Regatta.  Other high school sailors participated in a racing clinic held at Harvard University in August.  With boat handling skills fresh in the minds and muscles of our sailors, we are ready for a competitive season with our NESSA events.  Our team has officially signed up for 4 events all over New England.  We most recently signed up for the Gleekmann Funfest qualifier held on the ever so popular Charles River in Boston.  The combination of these NESSA sanctioned events as well as our “Fun” regattas here at the CSC should make for endless opportunities to sail this fall and advance our skills in the boat.     See you out on the racecourse.   Coach Mike

Sailing is a thrill no matter who you are; the moment you feel the force of the wind on you’re boat and it sends you out across the water, you’re hooked!  Most sailors have felt that countless times, but there is always one moment that sticks out.  For me that one moment happened this past week.  While out on a lazy sail, on what seemed to be a regular Lake Champlain light evening breeze, Cory and I were cruising a long towards the outer limits of our boundary when we turned back in toward Burlington on a run.  We set up the spinnaker ready to have a sweet ride back to the docks; little did we know that Mother Nature had a surprise for us.  As soon as we realized we had a gust of wind on us, we were in the beginning of a 30 mph microburst.  Cory was the first to feel the effects, as the spinnaker sheets were almost ripped out of his hands.  The next thing we knew, we were up on a plane traveling at lease 15 mph, throwing us both back screaming “OH YEAH WE’RE ROCKIN’ NOW!!!”  Trying to ride the wind it shifted and took the spinnaker for a ride, and w hile trying take the spinnaker down it wrapped around the jib. With tangled sails and lines on our bow our first reaction was to clean up the mess and get the spinnaker down. As we worked to get the spinnaker back in, and trying not to sink the bow into the 3-4′ waves we were surfing, we found ourselves abruptly tossed by the wind and capsized the boat. Cory was separated from he boat for a few minutes, but was lucky picked up by some boaters out on the lake.  After getting ourselves together and cleaning up the mess of sails and lines (while capsized and relentlessly bashed by massive whitecaps) we got the boat upright and sailing. Looking back at this awesome sail, I find myself even more addicted to sailing.  The thrill of launching forward with the spinnaker up and the gusts almost throwing us backward out of the boat was one of the wildest rides I have ever been on in a sailboat.  I also felt humbled by the lake a took a lesson out of this whole thing…  Although you may never expect a small ripple in the water to be anything major, always try to ride out the wind and weather, for if you act too soon you may wind up on your side sailing away from your mates.

So at the CSC we had been thinking for a while now that we should try and get a picture of the whole fleet on the water. And last Thursday the wind was blowing about 5 knots and it was sunny and warm out so all the instructors decided that at 3:45 we would all bring our boats together. Several of the water front coordinators came out on the water with
cameras VASS brought their boat in and even Kate and the Burlington Free Press came sailing in through the mob of boats. As 3:45 started no approach the boats started to trickle in. Sara and Craig’s class came down from lone rock, fallowed by Aidan’s level twos who were all on the same tack in a big line fallowing him looking really sharp, then Robert and my class kind of swirling and capsizing in to the front of the CSC. Eventually everyone made it we had just about the whole fleet of boats sailing in one big mob in front of the wave attenuator. And all I was thinking was man this is crazy! So everyone with cameras started running around the fleet taking pictures from every angle they could. It lasted for about 2 minuets, and then everything started to fall apart. Several Bicks capsized. And all the instructors at the same time just turned their boats around and headed in to the swarm of boats. There several close calls but in the end no one was hurt, no damage was done, and we got some good pictures of the fleet.

After an eight month absence from the sailing center it feels good to be working around the water again.  I have been working at the Community Sailing Center on and off for the last five years. Each time I come back I am amazed at how much the sailing center has grown. My first year teaching we were very excited to have 6 brand new 420s. Since then our 420 fleet has doubled and we now have the rhodes 19s and 9 BICS. I was pleasantly surprised this year to discover that a couple of my former students were now my coworkers! Even though the sailing center continues to grow it has never lost the feeling of a friendly community. Every summer there are past and present students that I get to catch up with and new students and sailors I get to meet. Although, every fall I am excited for the school year’s adventures, every spring I find myself anxious to get down to the sailing center and on the water.

- Anna Taylor

On a windy, hot August day I had two people come down for a private lesson. They hadn’t sailed in years and had wanted to take out a sailboat on their own but didn’t have the sailing knowledge to pass the renter’s test. So instead they signed up for a private lesson and I was lucky enough to take them out. Luckily the wind was howling and they were up for a wet and super windy ride. I started by taking out just one person at a time. Within seconds of leaving the dock we were on a plane, and the boards were humming in that “oh man we’re going fast” kind of way. After cruising around for 20 minutes we flew back to the dock and picked up the other student. So with the three of us in the boat I knew things were going to be cramped, but I figured that the wind was so heavy that we could have all three people on the rail and might still have trouble keeping the boat flat. As soon as we took off, they were hooting and hollering and hiking out like rockstars. Even with the heavy winds we were fully sheeted and going as fast in a 420 as I’ve ever gone. After an absolutely exhilarating 2 hours they thanked me for the lesson, but really, I should have been thanking them.

The summer is winding down, although it really feels like it’s just begun. July felt sort of like Alaska, but August is feeling like the tropics. Even the lake is feeling a little too warm. But as instructors, we’re fickle. Too warm and the students get sun burnt and dehydrated. Too cold and they freeze in t-shirts and shorts. Too much wind and boats tip over left and right, making our jobs slightly more difficult. But too little wind and we sit parked in the hot sun for hours. Luckily the forces were in our favor for what would be the last really big week of the summer. All and all it was a good week, filled with hot weather and a decent amount of wind. But it was Friday of all days that turned into what most of us would consider the perfect day. Sunny, toasty warm, light breeze, and warm lake water. We sailed, we swam, we basically owned what turned out to be one of the best sailing days of the summer. Although I feel exceedingly fortunate to spend almost every day on the water, it was days like that that really made me feel grateful for being able to live in Burlington and work on the water. So here’s to the Community Sailing Center (imagine that I’m lifting my Nalgene bottle in a metaphorical toast) – thanks for the good times, good sailing and good weather!

It was a slow day, somewhat sketchy weather and highlighted by a visit from some odd looking travelers.  As their raft pulled up to the dock and some scraggled passengers stepped on to our Atlas dock, I approached asking how the day was going – honestly checking out if they were coherent or lost or were sailors who knew what they were doing.  Pleasantly, I was happy to find out that despite the rugged appearances, the travelers were five guys from Hampshire College who made a raft and were taking it from Swanton to New York City using the Champlain Canal from Lake Champlain to the Hudson River.  The raft was about 8′ wide and 20′ long, four posts to hold a roof and a hammock and , and riding about 4-6″ above the water with a 40hp motor powering it.  Not too much room  to accommodate for waves, but just enough to keep most of one’s body dry for the three week journey.   As intrigued as I was by the boat and the travelers, I chatted them up, ran up to the office to grab a camera and took a couple pictures.  The journeymen asked me to send the pics to family and friends, so I took down some email addresses and ran back up to the shore to send off a quick note.  In the note I included a quote from Huck Finn:

We said there warn’t no home like a raft, after all. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don’t. You feel mighty free and easy and comfortable on a raft.
Mark Twain

The family and friends were eager to respond, as they hadn’t heard from the group for 5 or 6 days while they were building the raft attempting to get it seaworthy.  They wrote back all exclaiming thanks and one even was so moved he offered a place to stay in Boston when I travel there next.  All were relieved to hear that they were on their way and doing well.  Like these roguish voyageurs and sailors we encounter daily, the people we meet here on the Lake and the CSC never cease to amaze me.

Thanks so much for the update and pictures! These are the first we have seen of the completed raft. I am glad to see they are on their way and doing well.
-Jeff
Thank you so much for sending these wonderful photographs and news of our wanderers!  We were wondering how they were doing and whether they had gotten their motor repaired.  They look great!  Thanks again!
-Christine
Thanks so very much.  We are all wondering what is happening.  I really love the Mark Twain quote.  I have a slow download because we have dial-up, but I look forward to the pictures.  Thanks again. -Martha
I am the father of  one of the RAFT boys.  My wife and I can’t thank you enough for extending your hospitality to the boys and for  your wonderful communique your words and pictures and your Mark Twain quote !!!  As parents we worry and your email  gave us a lot of solace.  My son is Dean , he is the guy wearing multi-plaid shirt .

-Arthur and Cindy

The sailing instructors are aided by a staff of coordinators.  Some, like Colin and Jen, are well noticed and appreciated by community sailing members.  Others, like Dave D’Angelo of Vermont Adaptive, can fly under the radar of the average Community Sailing member.  While Dave does not work for the Sailing Center, he does work with the us on a daily basis, helping to coordinate our adaptive sailing program.  For those who don’t know, our adaptive program aims to get folks of all abilities sailing and enjoying Lake Champlain.  We even have a specially designed boat, an adaptive sonar, that gives people with limited mobility a chance to drive the boat.  Dave has been a big help this summer, not only with setting up great programs for Vermont Adaptive, but also during busy and hectic times.  He’s always there willing to give us a hand.  I’ve seen him hop in a motor boat and help us get folks off the water before a storm hits.  I’ve also seen him “test the water temperature” on those really hot and windless days by throwing a massive cannonball off of our dock.  We’ve had some really great adaptive programs this summer so I just wanted to give a huge high five to Dave for making it happen and for doing all the good work that he does.

Working down on the waterfront you see many different kinds of critters on land and in the water. While putting the boats in one morning four minks were jumping and playing around in the grass and shrubs along the bank. Every now and then they would pop out and scurry across the loading area and then dive into the shrubs again, it seemed as if they were playing a game of who could stay out in the open the longest. A few days before I watched two minks fish right in front of the coast guard boat launch, playing and eating their catch in the docks floating off the inner break water. Many of the animals around spend most of their time in the water, like ducks and fish. There are a few ducks that will rest and bask in the sun on one of the rock poking out of the water just off the shore, one of the resident duck has had a few ducklings following her around and feeding on the algae that grows on our ramps. Even the fish are noticeable residents. There was a bass earlier in the season that was guarding his eggs, and within the second or third week of June, they hatched and there were hundreds of baby bass swimming along the surface. I’m sure that they all didn’t make it, but those who did will swim on and enjoy the lake just like wee all do.

Lost Something? Well I have got news for you. We have a great inventory of lost items that have been found sitting around the sailing center. There are plenty of shoes, hats, shirts and other interesting items located in our luxurious lost and found. So, if you don’t remember where your Red Sox Hat is there is a chance that it is the Red Sox hat sitting in our lost and found. I find it odd when looking at some of the things that turn up in the Lost and found. I often wonder how could someone forget about something so important like ones shoes or their lunch box but then I remembered that they were having too much fun Sailing that they totally forgot they were hungry. The excitement that they had on the water engulfed them so much that all they can think about is sailing. So, come on in and ask one of our Waterfront coordinators for the lost and found and we can find what you are looking for.

When working as an instructor at the community sailing center, the need for proper positive feedback is always present. With help from US Sailing, experienced instructors, and newcomers, our staff is fortunate enough to have gained many options for positive feedback when teaching camps. There is of course, the obvious feedback, such as a nice “good job” or even a high five to boost confidence, but there are definitely many other options here at the community sailing center. We seem to have a never-ending flow of “freezie pops”, and are always ready to have a sweet frozen water-and-sugar party at the end of a week. Our last, and probably most inventive source of positive feedback, are the awards. Given out at the end of the week, we provide small cards with specialized awards for each student, such as “master crew” “super skipper” and “fish in the water”. These awards definitely help to remind kids how well they did at their camp.

Though it may seem like the key word in our name is Sailing, given that that’s primarily what goes on here, or even Center, given that we’re a specific place, I believe that it’s actually the Community that is the focus of the CSC. When I started working at the CSC about two months ago, I didn’t know any of the other staff members, renters, volunteers, or campers. However, at this point in the summer I feel very much a part of a great community of people here at the Sailing Center.

Sailing is truly a group sport and is helpful in building community where one may not yet exist. Through sailing, neighbors, classmates, families, and friends can learn to communicate and understand each other more fully. I have been amazed in my time here at how eager everyone at the Sailing Center has been to teach me things about sailing, about the lake, and about the region we’re in. Through partnerships with many local organizations, we provide opportunities for everyone in the community, and I believe we are succeeding in building a strong community of lake lovers.

On Wednesday the Sailing Center youth had quite a time during lunch. Ted Hart, a PhD student at UVM came down to work with the students for their weekly WAVES seminar. Ted’s research focuses on how changes in precipitation that are expected to happen with climate change will alter aquatic insect communities. Now you may ask are aquatic insects plankton? No. Plankton are small, free-floating organisms that are so tiny that they cannot move about in the water on their own and as a result just float around. After a short talk with the students on the deck, the kids headed down to the docks to conduct plankton tows. By dragging a finely meshed net through the water students were able to collect plankton samples right off our very own docks! After everyone had a chance to use the nets the kids finished their seminar on the deck investigating their findings with magnifying glasses!

I love to see that more often, people are riding their bikes in to the community sailing center. Every week, there are several kids who choose to ride their bikes in to camp (even some of their parents choose to ride them in on bikes as well). With campers and the large group of staff and volunteers who bike in, we are finding that the percentage of car drivers is diminishing accordingly. I believe that sailors and their parents understand that in choosing to get their
power from the wind as opposed to a motor, they are choosing an alternative to fossil fuels. This is an amazing improvement, especially if one chooses to sail and ride their bike. We are also constantly working on the W.A.V.E.S. Initiative, which teaches us about the ecology of the lake and some of the issues we are currently facing. With the combination of bike riding, W.A.V.E.S. activities, and tallying/reducing our trash output, we are proving the community sailing center is definitely conscious of their role on Lake Champlain.

It always happens that at least one student is reluctant to get into the water for the swim test. This is usually has less to do with their swimming ability and more to do with the cold air and water. One of our students was convinced that she would be forever frozen if she jumped into the lake and instead spent the next twenty minutes huddled in a towel, trying to psyche herself up for the Big Jump.

Justin and I did our best to convince her that the water wasn’t that cold, warm really, well. . . . at least compared to the air. . . . and. . . . you know. . . . it’s fun. . . . no, really. . . . it is. She did finally jump but we could all see that it took some pretty fierce will power on her part. Little did we know that the minute her feet touched the water that we unleashed a monster. A four foot tall swimming monster, that would launch herself off of any boat or dock and lurk in the water until Justin or I reminded her that we were, in fact, in sailing class.  And while we do want to teach sailing skills, teaching students to overcome fears and embrace this cold and wet Vermont summer on Lake Champlain, is a pretty good skill to have.

Participating in the Regatta For Lake Champlain this year was a new experience for many people from the Sailing Center.  Thanks to the generous donation of the use of his boat, our crew sailed on Harold Brown’s J29, Dog House.

For my part, I had only sailed on the boat once before, but I was on the foredeck and not in the cockpit.  Comparatively speaking, though, the newness for me was nothing compared to that of the majority of the crew of the boat.

This year the crew was made up of a select few CSC campers.  They were a group of kids from a variety of our classes (all of whom had taken level III), who excelled in sailing.  Some of them I had taught before and some of them I had just seen around the sailing center, but it made no difference to the students; everyone was receptive to what I had to say.

Once the race started and everyone settled in to the groove, it really started to get fun for me. I remember when we first put up the spinnaker we were on a reach and everyone was feeling the power it brought to the boat. The crew just started to go “ohhh this is so cool!” and “I love the spinnaker.”  One student, Lucie, said to me, “So this is why you kept trying to get us to do this,” which made me laugh.    Everyone was having a great time. I remember all the kids were very impressed with the bathroom on the boat.
As the races rounded the final mark we were head-to-head with the boat Tumble Weed, and everyone started to get very competitive all of the sudden. We put up the shoot and everyone settled in. They were all asking us how they could trim the sails to make us go a little faster, every minute we got asked “should we pull the pole forward?” “How is the main, should we pull it in?” or “look at the Windex it’s shifting!” It was great.

I think that of everything that all those campers did this summer at the CSC,  this was the highlight of their experience. I know it will stand out in my memory as one of my best days with the CSC. I hope that next year I get a chance to do it again.

Well it’s the middle of another week, new kids, new adventures and new challenges. Looking back over the last half of the summer I remember the sailors that have passed through and the familiar faces of those who have come back. It’s great to have so many kids and adults getting pumped for sailing and trying something new or honing in their skills. All of our programs are so fun that it is hard find one that is better than another. With these programs sailors of all ages have a change to sail various boats, finding out how each one moves and sails in different ways, which in turn helps them to experience different aspects of sailing and apply them to every boat they sail. Understanding weight placement on the smaller 420’s helps the sailors to apply proper placement on the bigger keelboats. Although many sailors like particular boats, switching it up on them and throwing them into something new, may cause them to take a step back to adjust, but they still can do everything and anything. All in all this summers has seemed to fly by and the sailors coming in and out seem to having a blast. It’s great to see come coming back, and I look forward to the future new sailors to take to the lake.

This summer weather wise is one to remember for seasons to come.  We’ve had all sorts of interesting weather patterns: Big storms with hail, big winds with huge waves, & weather moving in from the east.

So this week started off with some great wind. On Tuesday, I was able to take out a group sail from a Barnes Elementary summer camp. It was interesting to see some kids who have never sailed before learn and explore a Sonar for the first time. We had a lot of wind that day and we were able to have a lot of fun and sail out near Lone Rock.

On Wednesday, we took out group sails with the Vermont Adaptive program from the Howard Center. It was cool to see how comfortable this group was on the sailboat and how quick they were to adapt to a new skill and try steering and working the jib sheets. There were some really cool kids in this group who, despite being hesitant, were willing to get on a boat and go sailing outside the breakwater. There was not as much wind but we were still able to go fast enough and have a good time. So far it has been a great week and I am looking forward to the next few days.

Another week of camps at the sailing center just ended. We had an all day level 1 camp, for which Justin and myself were the instructors. We had a huge variety of wind throughout the week. On Wednesday of last week the wind was blowing a nice 3-4 knots. The class rigged 5 open bics and everyone was excited to do the windward leeward course we had set up.

As the first 2 boats reached the marks the wind started to pick up, quickly rising to over 15 knots! Several of the bics were zooming around the mooring field, having a great time. All of the sailors stepped up their game for the heavy conditions as the instructors worked to get everyone to the docks. We had a few turtles, and one rudder fell off, but overall the kids were excited about how they had sailed in such heavy winds.

Friday we had a perfect amount of breeze and we took the open bics out again. On the last day it was awesome to see how so many of the campers felt confident in their boats. Many of the campers had never sailed dingys before coming to camp and the last day they really showed how much they had learned.

There has been sweet wind for the last few days and the 420s are boats to be in when its blowing.  They are faster (once on a plain), right on the water next to the action and can take more wind then our keel boats.  The only bad part of a big wind day is that the kids cant go out in there own boats.  This means rides with an instructor in the boat, Lucas a fellow instructor teamed up to give our two classes rides. On the final ride of the day, Lucas comes flying towards me on a broad reach witch quickly starts to plain as a puff catches up to them.  It was like stand on the side of the highway and seeing some one buzz by in a convertible, one instructor and two kids all with the biggest grins from ear to ear, attempting to hike out.

One night this week, as the sun was setting and illuminating the Adirondacks across the lake, I was watching an adult class practice capsize recovery off the dock.  The waterfront was busy that evening – people were fishing, lounging, and enjoying each others’ company and the beautiful evening on Lake Champlain.  A nice gentleman approached me and asked what was happening on the water, gesturing to the class which was cheering as one student successfully righted a 420 for the first time.

I told him about the class, and he said that he had sailed on the Jersey shore for many years and was visiting friends in Burlington for the weekend.  He was pleased to see people learning to sail, and asked me: How do you become a member of the Community Sailing Center?

It’s a question I get often as Waterfront Coordinator, and one that I really love to answer: Anyone and everyone can be a part of the Community Sailing Center!  This gentleman was stunned and excited to learn about the CSC as I told him about our youth camps, adult classes, partnerships with Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sport, the King Street Youth Center, the Howard Center, and even our rental and storage programs which are open to the public.  As our conversation ended, he left with a great appreciation for the CSC, and perhaps a new idea to bring home to New Jersey.

It is my first season instructing at the sailing center.  The season has started out great.  The kids were psyched to get out on the boats and feel the wind in their hair.  We always start out with a few games dealing with boat parts and safety and the kids were really getting into it.  During one of the games one of the kids jammed her finger, but she didn’t let on to it hurting.  We went into some running and yelling games to let the kids get it out of their system, during this game I noticed that this girl was holding her finger and didn’t look comfortable when I asked her what happened and then took her in to get some ice on it.  After we got some ice we started back to join the group.  On the way back she tripped and skinned her knee.  We went back to the office and got her all cleaned up. During this she said “this is the best day of her life” and that she was have a lot of fun despite the two minor injuries. It was great to hear that and made me feel even more proud to be a part of a great program that gets kids outside and enjoying the resources available to everyone.

The waterfront coordinator desk is one of the most important parts in this machine that is the Community Sailing Center. We have some of the greatest employee’s, volunteers and customers. Whatever is happening at the Sailing Center it’s bound to start right here at the Waterfront Coordinator desk. So, for those who have been by and had to wait for the computer to stop freezing you don’t have to wait anymore. We have a new computer with more power, gadgets and yes a bigger screen. I don’t know about everyone else but I am excited. This makes it possible for faster service along with yes you guessed it more twittering and blogs. If you haven’t checked the sailing centers Facebook page or tweeted with us then you’re missing out. We will be tweeting daily about what’s going on at the Sailing Center and informing you as best we can about everything that we can. This new computer will be an asset to the office and I am excited to start using it. For anyone who stops in the office you will notice a major upgrade to the Waterfront Desk. So, feel free come on in and check out our new computer and then you can go out for a great sail.

Earlier this week as I was watching some renters de-rig their boat while a class of 11-15 year old boys ware practicing capsize recovery on the Atlas dock.  Groups of two were getting in and out of the water and capsizing then righting their boats, while the rest of the group looked on from the dock without much interest.  Most groups seemed to be doing this without much direction from their instructor and with fairly little trouble.  The last group, however, had a tougher time of it.  One student in particular was having trouble hoisting himself up onto the centerboard in order to right the boat.  After a few minutes this camper was beginning to get frustrated and was losing confidence.  Just when it seemed that he was about to give up and climb back on the dock in defeat, his co-campers began to offer words of encouragement and instruction: “Try going feet-first,” “Use all your muscles!”  “You can do it!” Pretty soon, they were even chanting his name.  It still took a while, but he was finally able to right the boat.  This camper may have been able to do it on his own, but I think it was the encouragement and support of his fellow middle schoolers that gave him the confidence to finish his task.

This summer weather wise is one to remember for seasons to come. We’ve had all sorts of interesting weather patterns: Big storms with hail, big winds with huge waves, & weather moving in from the east.
I was out on a Sonar with my Adult Keelboat class getting ready to wrap up our day on the lake. We started our beam reach east back towards the sailing center. As soon as we got to the breakwater, I could see this rogue storm cell coming from the east right behind the Moran Plant. I immediately grabbed my radio and hailed the center alerting everyone of the impending storm. At about that time, Emma had seen the storm pop up on the radar. She scrambled all the staff onto motorboats to assist the numerous 420 renters out on the lake. Meanwhile, I could see the squall coming in our direction aboard the Sonar, so I decided to execute a 180 degree turn and flee west. To our dismay, we didn’t quite dodge the wall of rain that swept across the lake pretty quickly. This story is a perfect example of how we can never predict what will happen with the storms and wind on the lake and how you always need to be looking east & west for approaching weather.
I’m sure this summer will again break records for rainfall as long as this pattern continues. Everyone seems to be in the groove of breaking down boats and moving into the big white tent as soon as our guaranteed afternoon storm rolls in. We are all keeping our fingers crossed for a sunny second half of the summer.

With the passing of the 4th of July many people think that the summer is coming to a close and I can tell you that they are wrong. Yes everyone had a blast at Rock the Dock and we had a super turnout with many generous donations but that is just the beginning. We have plenty of programs coming up for kids and adults as well as the whole family together. Stormboarding as well as the water wind and weather camps look really pretty sweet to me. In the Stormboarding course you’re taught the basics of windsurfing and the Water Wind and Weather is a new really cool program where 8-10 year olds can split their time at the Echo aquarium learning about Water, Wind and the Weather then come over to the Sailing center and put their knowledge to the test out on the water. These are just two examples the numerous camps and classes we have going on for the rest of the summer. Things are also going to start to look a lot different around the center as we have and will continue to upgrade our facilities and boats. We have had some great help from our volunteers and Mates this summer and they have helped do some great work so let’s keep it up. We did get our second Rhodes 19 in the water thanks to Colin and his helpers so for all you keelboater’s out there we got one more for you and were looking into getting another Sonar, so keep your fingers crossed and I will see you down at the Sailing Center.

The wind continues to blow over Lake Champlain and the season is in full swing! Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to sail almost every day. Even with all the rain we’ve had I must say we’ve been pretty lucky that most of the thunderstorms in the area have kept away. This is my first year as a sailing instructor and I have to say, this is the best job ever. It’s so much fun to teach sailing! I think everyone should come down to the lake and enjoy it, this is what summer is all about.

In the last two weeks I’ve had the chance to sail with many different groups and classes. I would have to say that my most memorable experience of the last two weeks is of July 3rd. We were sailing on one of the Sonars and we had been out for nearly three hours when a rain storm threatened. Frank was my student and it was his first experience sailing, and
although he was having a great time he was both ready to go back in and less than excited by the idea of sailing in a rainstorm. We were near Oakledge Park but rather than head straight back to the Sailing Center Frank suggested we tack out into the bay with the hopes of steering around the downpour as it shifted through Burlington Bay. We did, and he was right. We managed to avoid getting wet while every other boat in the bay got caught in the downpour. We made it back just before the next round of rainstorms swept through. At least that was one day where I didn’t get rained on, and it was due to my students keen eye on the sky.

This summer season has got off to a great start! It also marked the official start to the WAVES initiative! We were very excited to have Josh Bakelaar, a former employee of ECHO who is now pursuing a Master’s Degree at UVM in Soil Science as our first guest speaker. Although it was the first week of camp, 25 enthusiastic campers surrounded Josh the minute lunch began. Lucky for him he brought in some fun specimens for the children to check out, including a turtle shell and snake skin. Once the kids filled their bellies with tasty lunches from home, Josh engaged the students in a neat activity that utilized each child. All the campers constructed a giant spider wed of sailing line that helped them understand how different parts of an ecosystem are all connected! The kids found ways to connect soil, turtles, sun, and even Champ! You can only imagine how tangled our web was by the end of the activity. Just another wacky Wednesday at the Sailing Center!

Over the last few days mother nature has tossed us almost everything in her arsenal. Although she tests us everyday, there is nothing she can throw that we don’t have a back up plan for, and there is really nothing that will dampen the spirits here at the Community Sailing Center. The wind may not blow everyday, but the kids rock the boats to where we’re going. Learning these methods known as kinetic sailing is a major part of sailing and gets you through the windless days. Rainy days with thunder are fun-filled with events like tie up the instructor, which tests the kids skills of knots and lines, or sailing jeopardy and numerous WAVES activities that use fun game like charades to teach the kids about different wetland critters and their habitats. with so many options and games to play, no sailing does not mean no fun (maybe even more fun, but then again maybe not, there’s nothing better than sailing). All we can do is plan for fun and get it done, sun or thunder, windy or calm, we’re ready for anything!

The weather on the Lake has been intriguing me as of late. I’m from the Midwest where South winds bring Texas warmth and Gulf rains. Winds from the West are gentle breezes left over from the Dakota plains, and weather from the North (well, NNW) is generally expected as a Arctic Jet Stream bringing cold, cold and more cold. But I’m not able to wrap my head around the weather here yet. I have gotten to see some great storms roll across the Lake from New York, and had the distinct pleasure of seeing the North East breeze blow in some crazy winds by way of Colchester Bay. This job is teaching me that the Waterfront Coordinators have become the front line for the campers and instructors to be weather hounds, watching, waiting, and warning when necessary of all possible issues that arise. This puts a great deal of responsibility on our plates to not only be aware by watching the clouds, winds, waves and radar but to learn what to expect from the storms moving our way. While we WC’s all can’t be as good as Tom Messner or Colin Davis, we are honing our skills as amatuer meteorologists and storm-trackers to keep the Community Sailing Center a safe place for us all to access the Lake.

As an aside, the average annual precipitation for Vermont is 40.13 inches and as of the end of June, we’ve received 17.83″, which puts us right on track for the yearly average but about an inch below where we were at this point last year (18.94″).

In the month of June, the water temperature hovers around 60 degrees.  The coldness of the water depends on wind, sun, and how willing one is to spend the day in a wetsuit.  For the sailing instructors, June is motivation month.  Students don’t want to do swim tests, they don’t want to capsize and they don’t want to get splashed, all in the name of cold water.  But we, as instructors, spend our day saying things like, “It’s not so bad,” “It’s better if you just jump in,” “The water was a lot colder in May,” and “No I’m not going to do the swim test with you.”

After a windy and somewhat cold morning out on 420s two of my students accidentally turtled their boat.  They did a great job but the wind and the wind and waves were too much and I had to make a decision.  I had been saying all day that the water wasn’t so bad, but I didn’t have to be the one to get in it.  After a few seconds of playing AC/DC in my head (to get psyched up for the plunge) I hopped on their boat and helped them right it.  In order to right the boat, I held onto the side while my body was slowly lowered into the water, which in this instance took about 10 minutes.  Eventually, after much shivering and numbness, we got the boat upright.  I climbed into the boat, made sure my students got in as well, looked over the boat to make sure it was still all in one piece, and took a deep breath.  My students and I were soaked to the bone and as I turned the boat to sail back to shore I said out loud, “Man that water’s cold!”

It is a beautiful day—the sun is out, the radar looks clear, and there is a steady 12 to 15 knots of wind; in other words, you are absolutely giddy about the prospect of getting out on the water. Who wouldn’t be? Early season sailing on the lake is great because of the weather and the fairly strong winds.

On the other hand, because it /is/ the beginning of the season it may have been a while since you were out sailing in one of our boats.

We all love to get out on the water, but safety is our primary concern at the Community Sailing Center, so here are a few questions to consider before deciding to come down and try to rent a boat:

How long has it been since you were out sailing? Would you feel comfortable righting a capsized or turtled boat? Where is the wind coming from—would you get pushed away from or towards the Sailing Center if you were drifting on the water?

Not to worry if you decide you do not feel entirely comfortable heading out on the water on your own just yet. We have plenty of other early season options of which you and your family can take advantage!

If you feel pretty comfortable but you just want a quick rigging refresher, you should come down on a Friday afternoon at 5:30 to join us for a mini refresher followed by Sailing Center organized 420 racing. Every Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 we offer free racing on a first-come first-serve basis.

Alternatively, we offer private lessons on all of our boats (except kayaks and canoes), which can be extended to family lessons for a discounted price on each additional person on a boat. Going out for a few hours of a family lesson can be a great way to get everyone back into the swing of things before starting to head out on your own.

Finally, we offer a series of adult classes that run throughout the summer and whose dates can be found online at http://communitysailingcenter.org <http://communitysailingcenter.org/>. For the sailor who wants to jump back into it after a ten or fifteen year hiatus, taking a class can be a fun way to grease rusty cogs in your memory while you get to know a group of like-minded friends.

Fair winds and safe sailing,

The saying holds true for the beginning of this summer season. To best describe the weather here on the waterfront only one word is necessary; variable. We have seen it all so far, from beautiful sunny days with a slight breeze to torrential downpours with severe winds whipping across Lake Champlain. The weather we have seen at the sailing center truly shows us both extremes of the spectrum, along with everything in between.

The wrath of mother nature was initially seen a few Sundays ago when an extremely intense wind storm slammed us here on the waterfront. Never before in my life have I seen winds so strong and waves so immense. Our docks were hit pretty hard and there were some waves that challenged the persistence of our moored keelboats, but we made through. Comparing that day to one we have today, with beautiful warm weather with perfect green flag winds we are able to allow complete access to all that Lake Champlain has to offer. Through all of the extremely variable conditions, the Community Sailing Center is committed to provide as much fun and accessibility to the lake as mother nature will allow.

This week at the sailing center has been a great one. the wind has been blowing every day so far. Today we did 420 rides with the kids. That was a blast. Two of my kids went from being petrified of the 420’s to absolutely loving them and wanting to go out every time I got back in. It was great to see that transformation. It really goes to show how staying calm and having fun can really affect everyone else around you. As an instructor it’s great to be able to have this effect on kids. The look of pure excitement on their faces is priceless. I remember one kid telling me how sailing today was better than The Great Escape. He was describing how it was more intense because there was a chance we could capsize. I enjoyed that. I hope that the rest of the summer can be as great as this one.

The waterfront coordinator desk is one of the most important parts in this machine that is the Community Sailing Center. We have some of the greatest employee’s, volunteers and customers. Whatever is happening at the Sailing Center it’s bound to start right here at the Waterfront Coordinator desk. So, for those who have been by and had to wait for the computer to stop freezing you don’t have to wait anymore. We have purchased a new computer with more power, gadgets and yes a bigger screen. I don’t know about everyone else but I am excited. This makes it possible for faster service along with yes you guessed it more twittering and blogs. If you haven’t checked the sailing centers Facebook page or our Twitter page then you’re missing out. We will be tweeting daily about what’s going on at the Sailing Center and informing you as best we can about everything that we can. This new computer will be an asset to the office and I am excited to start using it. For anyone who stops in the office you will notice a major upgrade to the Waterfront Desk. So, feel free come on in and check out our new computer and then you can go out for a great sail.

It is my first week of teaching this week, an I’m with the little guppies. They are so much fun to teach and just be around, they all are happy and friendly. Even though I would have told you little children at such a young age would be hard to teach because of their low age, I would now say that they are easier then the older children. it is understandable that they will not retain as much as an older child or understand as easily but for some reason they actually put forth an attempt to learn. By simply making learning fun the guppies just drink it all in, the whole experience of sailing and even after a few days of heavy wind they soon are looking for something knew to learn and experience. Plus the guppies are at the age that they learn to fear or not fear scary things and I can see it when I’m sailing with them, that conflict of enjoying the feeling of fear and being afraid to push the envelope. Just an all around fun class to teach and just be apart of. Maybe I’ll be lucky later in the summer and get assigned to the guppies again, can only hope.

Another week in progress, as more and more students arrive. There are lots of familiar faces and some new ones. Everybody’s psyched and ready to go. Little feet running around all over, it’s the first session of the Little Guppies class. It’s a full class of all new little sailors, ready and willing to sail. So full of excitement and energy they run around eager to help with anything they can. We rig up two of the Sonar’s, my fellow instructor Robert and I helping the Guppies through the task. Finally completed we get to have our first taste as a group of this fine sport. It’s breezy, blowing about 25 knots. The Guppies don’t even seem aware of the wind, as they just want to be on the water. We cast off and immediately start to heel. I hear screams and look over expecting to see a group of scared faces. Instead I see 4 faces wide smiles screaming with joy. Not an ounce of fear in their little eyes. I let the main out to flatten the boat and get told in chant form “WE WANT TO TIP”. With a smile on my face I happily oblige.

It was my first day instructing at the sailing center.  The day was starting out great.  The kids were psyched to get out on the boats and feel the wind in their hair.  We started out with a few games dealing with boat parts and safety and the kids were really getting into it.  During one of the games one of the kids jammed her finger, but she didn’t let on to it hurting.  We went into some running and yelling games to let the kids get it out of their system, during this game I noticed that this girl was holding her finger and didn’t look comfortable I asked her what happened and then took her in to get some ice on it.  After we got some ice we started back to join the group.  On the way back she tripped and skinned her knee.  We went back to the office and got her all cleaned up. During this she said “this is the best day of her life” and that she was have a lot of fun despite the two minor injuries. It was great to hear that and made me feel even more proud to be a part of a great program that gets kids outside and enjoying the resources available to everyone.

The general feeling down on Lake Champlain is one of excitement as the 2009 season has officially begun.  The wild weather (heavy wind & wild squalls) have made everyone down on the lake feel that this year will again be different from last season.  With our new “Floating Breakwater” and Atlas dock in it’s new place we are ready for what this season will throw at us.  The lake is finally warming up to temperatures more suited for swimming, and the boats are ready to go.  We also have great new faces down here at the Sailing Center.  Our new staff have adapted very quickly to the daily operation of the classes, rentals, and facility.      This should be another great season down by the lake!  Don’t forget to come down on Friday nights for 420 racing!

I took a job at the Community Sailing Center to learn how to sail. My first week at work went by quickly and can most easily be recounted by newfound skills and a variety of crepes from the Skinny Pancake. Even though Waterfront Coordinators aren’t required to sail, I am responsible for having a firm knowledge in sailing. Part of my job description includes checking the rigging on boats before they go into the water and towing boats with the motorboat should they need assistance.

On Friday, Colin spent most of the afternoon teaching me motorboat mechanics and operations. I learned how to comfortably get around the lake, pull into the dock and deal with possible rescue situations.

His lesson was particularly timely as Sunday brought heavy winds and three turtled boats. The last boat we arrived at had a 420 that was in the ferry lane. The rain was heavy and the sailor was fatigued. I hopped on, grabbed the center-board and helped get the boat over.

Hopefully the next time I am in a sailboat, the mast will be above the water!

Green Up day was a huge success! Justin and I took a group of community members down to the Moran Plant to green it up a bit. And that is exactly what we did. We found all kinds of junk – 2 bikes, a shopping cart, several tires, a scooter, 2 bike rims, and lots of other stuff. The waterfront is looking much better now. It’s kind of sad to think that people just leave all this stuff lying around on the waterfront. Burlington has one of the nicest shore lines of anywhere around but there are some people who just take it for granted and use it as a dump thinking that it will all drift out in to the lake. But it doesn’t, the other day I found a message in a bottle in our harbor. It was dated from the day before; it just shows you how all the trash stays pretty close to where you left it.

We had a great group of people come down to help us out. CSC volunteers joined with other green up volunteers to pitch in and help. It was fun to get to meet the new people and see some old faces for the first time of the season. By the end of our greening up we had gotten through 28 bags stuffed full of trash and also a pile of stuff we couldn’t fit in bags. The Burlington water front is looking much better now. I would like to thank everyone who came to help and everyone who will help us in the future but doing what they can to just pick up a piece of trash here and there, every little bit helps.

With the melting of the lake ice and the increasing temperatures I look forward to my first experience coaching the High School Sailing team for the spring 2009 season. Last week we began our first series of practices followed by a women’s regatta in Greenwich, CT. The water temp has been well below 40 degrees for our three practices last week. All of the sailors sported their wetsuits to begin their chilly spring sailing season.

I have seen the high school program come a long way since 2001 when I first set foot in a club 420. Rachael Miller has been a valuable asset to the program as well to the sailing center over the years. She was the one coach that introduced me to the sailing world and built my passion for the sport. I am happy to pass my passion onto the eager young sailors involved in this irreplaceable program.

Continue reading Spring Sailing »

It’s been an exciting April down here at the Sailing Center. The anticipation of the upcoming summer season is indescribable. Since we have decided to start our sailing season three weeks early this year we have been hustling all spring to get the docks in the water, clean up the boats as well as organize the general layout of our “unique” facility. There really is never a dull moment at the Community Sailing Center, ever.

In order to make this all happen we have been hosting weekly volunteer days. Last Saturday, April 25th was our big spring work day. Colin and I were psyched to get a good turnout especially since we only have two weeks left until game time! The dock crew was able to repair one of our ramp docks, re-carpet it’s surface and prepare the next ramp for work. The other assorted crews were able to clean/wax 4 of our our 420’s, flip and rig them, reorganize assorted spars, clean/wax the keel boat hulls, prepare the keel boat bottoms for paint amongst many other feats. All in all a very successful day!

Continue reading Volunteer Days »