It’s always a thrill for me as the Captain when I take out someone who’s never sailed. It’s even better if the guest’s only yachting experience has been on a power boat. With both sails deployed, I shut the engine off as we headed past Coasterra Restaurant on the east end of Harbor Island. The steady 12kt breeze filled our sails, and Riviera dropped into her close-hauled groove as the wind guided us into San Diego Bay at a respectable 6 knots.
Here’s where it gets good… While the family sipped their cocktails and took selfies, the youngest member sat motionless—Josh—a bright-eyed 11-year-old kid. Josh reminded me of the kid I would have copied off of in junior high school. He just looked like he would know the right answer. But Josh had never sailed. His only boating experience was a small paddle boat he tried in sixth-grade camp, and that one time he took the ferry to Catalina Island with his family.
As Riviera healed and the leeward side of the cockpit leaned down to kiss the waterline, Josh’s eye’s got big. I said, “Hey Josh, you good?” The kid looked perplexed. He said,’ Are we sailing?” “Indeed we are,” I replied. “Really? He asked. With no motor, just sails?” “Yup, just Mother Nature.” His shoulders relaxed a bit, and he gave a nod of acceptance. I asked if he wanted to take the helm, and without hesitation, he said, “Sure”!
I pointed Josh to the starboard helm station. Like most newbies, Josh grabbed the wheel, and as if he was driving a car, his hands frozen at 10 and 2. “Relax,” I said. Just let yourself feel the sea. In just a few minutes, Josh fell into the rhythm. He was a natural! He stayed calm even when a gust of wind forced him to correct his course. The best part, though, was the giant smile on a kid that had never sailed before!
That feeling of wind in the sails and the counter-pressure against the keel that pushes the boat forward never gets old. It is a magical love affair that rejuvenates itself every time we sail.