Rudy 2006-04

Sailing? Who, Me? Seniors Choice Newsmagazine April 2006 - By Rudy Loeser - The fifth of March marked the first sailing race of 2006 in the calendar of the Kelowna Yacht Club, ushering in another season for the people who prefer wind to calm and who have no use for horizontal surfaces. This spring again, as in bygone years, the sight of those sails awakened in many a heart the yearning to be out there, coupled with just a touch of apprehension familiar to all who contemplate a new world. I remember that feeling well, from when I bought my first boat 40 years ago from a neighbour who included a period of lessons in the price of the vessel. It was a wooden Lightning, at home in the waters of Vancouver's English Bay. The memories of those days are precious and indelible and will be with me until my last voyage. Now it's your turn. Seniors are getting younger all the time. They start dancing, taking yoga lessons, hiking and a lot of other activities for which they had never had time before. They even start boating. Power boating for the timid, sailing for the adventurous. It's to the latter group I want to dedicate this piece, now that the Kelowna Yacht Club is offering sailing lessons. (Call: 762-3310; Penticton 492-2853, Summerland 494-8312, Vernon 545-5518) The adult sailing lessons at the KYC begin on April 11. They consist of 4 classroom lectures, with a choice of Tuesday or Thursday evenings, and 4 Saturday hands-on sessions with volunteer skippers aboard their vessels. The cost of the four-week 8-lesson course is $160. per person, which includes the textbook. Couples taking the course and sharing the textbook pay $290. This textbook has been prepared by the American Sailing Association and breaks down the subject matter into six parts, each of which consists of two parts, those being Ashore Knowledge and Skills Afloat. The book contains dozens of illustrations, covering the boat, its parts, and its behaviour in various wind conditions, Question and Answer sections, and instructions on the handling of the boat. The Saturday sessions are conducted by volunteer sailors aboard their own vessels which, generally, range from 21' to 30' in length, larger boats not deemed ideal for the beginner lessons .Now, you may ask, what happens once you have completed the course? If you have a friend with a boat you can badger him or her to take you with them on the weekend; or, you can decide to buy a boat. If that is your decision, I would suggest that you give some thought to moorage. First, there are boats that are trailer-able, boats with a retractable centreboard. You can park those in your driveway, or in a place like the Hotel Eldorado's boat yard. Another alternative is finding dock space in your neighbourhood, or in moorages like Shelter Bay, on the Westside of the Kelowna bridge. Or you may decide to make application to join a yacht club and apply for moorage space, which generally means putting your deposit down and your name on a wait list. While the Thomson/Okanagan area is not exactly a hotbed of sailboat dealers, you'll find boats for sale in boating magazines, on bulletin boards of yacht clubs, even your daily newspaper. If not, take a look at " Sailboats for Sale " on the Internet or ask your newfound friends in your yacht club. Moreover, while you're waiting your turn on the list, there are a lot of activities in your club's calendar you can participate in. There will be a fishing derby, a Valentine's dance, a New Year's bash, a St. Patrick's day event, Easter celebrations, Christmas and Halloween parties for your grandchildren, boat shows here in Kelowna, in Vancouver and Seattle, there'll be a fashion show and dock parties. It's certain that you won't be bored while waiting for space on the dock. Speaking of grandchildren - can you imagine their reaction if you were to invite them on a sail on a sunny afternoon? Not to mention their parents' astonishment? One more thing: You may not be cut out to be a racer, like those people who go out there on Sundays, and Wednesdays, in all kinds of weather. You can decide to be a cruiser, like most of the sailboat owners in your club. Which means you go out only when the weather suits you, go as far up and down the lake as you like and stay as long as you want. Well, as they say: been there, done that and there's nothing else like it.

 

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