This summer, Sail Orcas in West Sound is offering women’s sailing lessons each Monday night from 5:30-7:30 PM – a beautiful time in the afternoon to be out on the water learning some of the most important life skills you could have on an island!
The classes are full for the most part, but a friend asked if I’d like to come along this past Monday in case there happened to be room or if someone didn’t show up. I jumped at the chance, but it wasn’t until I was out on the dock where the boats are that I decided it would be unwise for my back. I just learned I will be having surgery on a flattened disc that’s spewing out gel into a nerve. I can back-dive off of docks and sprint up hills, but I can’t bend forward to tie my shoes or sit on chairs comfortably without shooting pain afterward. Sailing these boats involves bending down and forward and sitting – all of the things I consciously avoid every single day. My excitement for adventure initially made me hop on the motor boat headed to the sailboats, sure I could somehow work around my back issue. We’ve been sending our kids to sailing lessons ever since we moved here, and I hadn’t opened my mind to sending myself until now! But reality set in as I gave myself a silent talking-to while watching the women rig the boats. I would have to be an adult about it and let sailing go for now.
With no way back to shore, I decided to step back, be a fly on the dock, and document what I was observing. Had I stepped in to learn the multitudinous skills and sailing-ese for just two hours without going out on the water to put it all into practice or maintaining the knowledge each week in the class, I knew I’d lose the information immediately. Sometime post-surgery, I will try again.
Come along with me and enjoy a vicarious evening of sailing…
I noticed there is one class opening remaining if you go here. It is for August 9th and it’s WK8-C.
Maybe I’ll see you out there someday!
I so enjoy your blogs and stunning storytelling photos about Orcas. Your post brought back memories of crewing and racing Solings, with John Connley at the helm. This was in the mid-eighties, and there were a number of the Soling craft to make a category for the races. I was on the board of the early Sailing Foundation, and I had a wild idea for the annual meeting: A Heavy Weather Fashion Show at the Orcas Center stage. We had a very dour dry fashion announcer to make it all very camp. I think West Marine played along bringing all the coats, boots and foul weather gear.
John took the races more seriously than we did and often got upset. The rest of us three were willing, but not interested in getting red faced about it.
One of the other crew members lived in a home overlooking the Bayhead Marina. He was the kindest, gentlest man, retired obviously. He never talked about his previous life. Once in a lull, I asked him what he did before he retired.
“I was the publisher of ‘Billboard Magazine.'” THE industry’s biggest rag…and one would expect a sly criminal type, used to kickbacks and scheming to create a top hit. But nope. Lovely Hal Cook. He never launched into memory lane after that either. I would be blathering every funny incident without provocation, just like I did here.
And I can relate to your physical problems. I am 73 and no longer nimble enough to even get in and out of a small boat. But, I am improving, so perhaps next year, I will give it a go.
Oh so fun to read your thoughts, Carol! Thank you for your kind words, and I hope we see each other out in the great blue sometime!
Edee
Excellent article
I very proud of the what the instructors are brining to the women’s classes each week!
I hope your back is better in the future
In the meantime maybe some private lessons on a keel boat like a J70 might be the ticket
Thank you Burke!