I just got this from a couple that joined us last spring;
Harold & Margie,
Sorry for not writing sooner but since we arrived home from out trip with you (May 2010) our lives have been at full speed. We cannot thank you enough for the hospitality and education you both provided during our ASA 103 & 104 classes.
It was a great educational vacation. From the moment we stepped on board the Island Dreamer, you and Margie made us feel at home. Chris especially enjoyed Margie’s cooking. Each morning started with a good breakfast and then right into the hands on education, which was the purpose of our trip.
Not only did we increase our skill level daily, but you made time for us to enjoy the sites, snorkel and even listen to some island music at the Tiki bars. We loved stopping at the different Keys along our journey.
Once home, we went right into sailing season and we felt more confidence with our skills. I raced against Chris last month. We crewed for different captains on Hobie Tigers. We had loads of fun, but I came in second. I don’t mind, it was a learning experience and I hope to beat him next season.
Chris finished the spinnaker for our Hobie 16 and I am attaching a picture. We also have video coming.
Thank you both for a wonderful vacation and an education we will use for a lifetime.
Best regards,
Kathleen & Chris G.
Virginia Beach, VA.
See you at the Sail Boat Show!
Hobie Sailing with a spinnaker
Looks like lots of fun. It may be a little bit wetter than sailing on Island Dreamer, but it’s certainly faster!
Margie and I have had some great families join us for sailing vacations. Its a lot of fun watching them explore a new environment, giving you a new perspective on what sailing and cruising is about. Here are few fond memories.
Caleb and Reid at the Helm
Caleb (13 mo.) spent much his week long trip with us in the center cockpit of our sailboat. we put the first hatch board in each companionway, it was tall enough to see over but he wasn’t able to climb out. What a great life, he could look down in the cabin at Margie in the galley, his parents or his brother steering the boat, or maybe a smile and a wave from me hanging out below. Having someone around within sight to interact with kept him from getting bored. Of course he also enjoyed playing on the beach at Boca Chita Island, giving him a chance to burn off a little steam.
We like to serve some type of dessert after each dinner, about the 3rd or 4th day of our trip with Mia (5 yrs) she announced to her family at the dinner table “I live for dessert”. Truly a statement I can relate to. Toward the end of our trip she asked her parents if Captain Margie and Captain Harold could come visit them at home. I think it was because she suspected that dessert would be served every day we were there visiting! Just so you know her
Underway in Florida Bay
parents do give her dessert during weekend meals, she is not really deprived.
When we sail with the Boy Scouts (14-18 yrs) they are given jobs on the boat that are their responsibility. In the summer we sometimes get thunderstorms, after dark one night when we were at anchor when a strong cell hit us. I was sitting watching the chart plotter to make sure we did not drag anchor (visibility was near zero, very gusty winds and rain) and the boys were zipping down the side curtains of our cockpit enclosure. All of the sudden a hand reached over and swiveled the chart plotter around. Trying to remain calm I asked what was happening. I should have known that he needed a light to see how to zip the zipper. No, you can’t use my $1,000 chart plotter for a flashlight! We didn’t drag, stayed pretty dry, and the chart plotter made it through. I even showed him where to find the flashlight next time.
Living in a small space with kids might seem to be hard but there is enough to do to keep them engaged. The boat is small, but the surrounding are open and ever changing. It creates some wonderful memories.
We are back on our sailboat(s) after several weeks of vacation in California and Indiana. It was fun being on solid ground, Indiana felt especially non-moving with 1000 miles +/- to an ocean. Also fun to sleep in a fixed in place bed located in a hermetically sealed quiet room. Oh yeah, all the water pouring down on me in the shower, the endless flow of electricity without having to generate it myself.
So was I happy to get back? I think it’s an unqualified yes.The conveniences were nice but being sealed up in the house I didn’t stop to watch a sunset, there was no clear water to go snorkeling in, and all those empty rooms filled with stuff that still need cleaning made me once again appreciate the simplicity of our life.
Last night we had a drink at the Lorelei, watched the band and the sunset. I guess home is where the boat is.
Watching the Sunset from the Florida Keys
Margie and I will be helping Captain Jean and Captain Jeff with the Couples Cruising Seminar in Annapolis October 9. It will be a great way to learn more about cruising from a group of very experienced sailors;
The goal of the Couples Cruising Seminar is to give you the tools and perspectives you need as a couple to safely pursue the cruising lifestyle. We have assembled an outstanding group of marine professionals who have varied experience and back ground to present you with a balanced educational experience
Here is the Schedule;
8:00 Sign in and Continental Breakfast
9:00 Together planning your dream – Create your own guide to the cruising life.
10:00 Boat & equipment choices – What makes a boat easy for just two?
11:00 Developing the partnership beyond pink and blue – Teamwork,
dividing the management of the boat and seamanship skills.
12:00 Break for Lunch
1:30 “The Fear Factor” let’s talk about our fears. – Emergencies at sea,
sailing at night, open water passages and bad weather.
3:00 Voyage planning & Weather routing – Know when to go
or maybe change the route for smooth sailing.
4:30 The Cruising Lifestyle – A look at successful couples cruising.
Comfortable Cruising.
5:30 Q&A, Discussion and Social Hour
Margie and I will be at the ASA booth at the US sailboat show on Thursday Oct 7 from 2-4 and Friday Oct 8 from 12-2. we look forward to seeing you there.
I was reading a comment on a sailing discussion board;
“I (and others) would recommend that couples who attend sailing schools be split up (different boats, or different times), so each person gains the self-confidence that comes with dealing with the various situations by themselves instead of deferring to the dominant partner.”
Self-confidence is critical, but if you want to sail together you also have to have confidence in your partner. You can build that by recognizing each others new skills and practicing them together. In a structured learning environment with capable instructors, how to handle the issue of “deferring to the dominant partner” is part of learning to work as a team.
I think the quote above describes poor instruction rather than the ability to learn together. Margie and I do have the advantage of instructing one couple at a time but even with the larger class sizes and a having a single instructor that is typical of most sailing schools it should be possible to have a good experience. When we are teaching couples there are times when a gentle reminder to let their partner “do it” may be in order. The flip side is after seeing your spouse dock the boat, trim the sails or navigate a tight channel you will gain confidence in their abilities. That confidence means that both partners are part of the decision making process that will make sailing fun and comfortable for both of you.
Captain Holley and Capitan Denny on the Schooner Conch Pearl really enjoy teaching couples to become comfortable diving with each other on their live aboard scuba trips. Captain Holley (who is also a certified divemaster) helps an unsure or “reluctant” partner to gain confidence in their abilities with her gentle coaching style.
I think that one of the most important skills in being a great diver is being comfortable and relaxed in the water. Before we started spending so much time sailing I had the privilege of logging thousands of dives in Florida with people of many different skill levels. Things like physical fitness and knowledge of equipment are certainly important but making the water feel like home is the top skill you can master. Buddies that can project that calm feeling go a long way in making the dive pleasant for their partner.
We have learned a lot from watching Holley and Denny’s teaching style and been able to apply it to our own couples educational sailing trips. the dynamic of having two instructors teaching a couple, giving different perspectives, allows you to learn in a way that will help you retain it better than with a single teaching style. A positive learning experience with your partner can add a new level to your relationship. Get out there and do it!
Stingray on a Reef in the Florida Keys National Marine sanctuary
Jay Brittian sent me these pictures of their scout troops sailing trip with Margie and I. Their Eco Adventure included Everglades National park along with snorkeling the reefs of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. You can tell he is a wonderful professional photographer, thanks for sharing.
Clear water at Hens & Chickens Reef
Kayaking At Cowpens Cut
Dolphin snapped at Hens & Chickens by a snorkeler
Captain Harold with 2 Young Sailors
Captain Margie and Scouts at Sunset
I just commented on an interesting editorial about our parks in the NY times. Timothy Egan has some great thoughts but he left out sailing in the Keys. Desert and mountains our great but;
“Don’t forget the hundreds of thousands of acres of Islands and waters of the Florida Keys, Biscayne and Everglades National parks. If you travel just a few miles from US 1 you are transported to a tropical marine environment like nowhere else in the United States or the world. My wife Margie and I have the privilege of sailing in these waters year round, enjoying the beautiful vistas, wildlife, and open spaces. Much of the “land” is covered by a few feet of water but still it remains “for you and me”.”
My Summer Home
Who needs a country house, with 530 million acres of public land that belong to all of us, year-round.
When you think of sailing it’s open waters and a unlimited horizon but some of the joys of cruising are the chance to see what the natural world has to offer. We were recently exploring John Pennekamp Park with another couple that was working on there Bareboat Chartering Certification and passed though the fascinating area below. The Mangroves of the Keys are a nursery for marine life, home for many species of birds, and a shelter for sailors from high winds and seas. An area like this is a great place to hide from summer hurricanes and winter “cold” front winds.
Sailing in John Pennekamp Park
Cruising through the Mangrove Canal
