Morgan Collins, an inspired young man, is director of just such a sailing program for kids and adults called "Sail Sand Point." A community sailing center, this is a non-profit sailing organization at the north end of Seattle's Magnuson Park on Lake Washington, operated by the sailing center, not by the park department or a yacht club.
"The sailing center is open to everyone, with an excellent learn to sail program and 'open sailing' so anyone can come in to use the boats. There is such unlimited potential in Seattle, a great outdoor city," Morgan said.
Morgan Collins started sailing in a small "Butterfly" scow, a Michigan boat, as a child. "It was like sailing on a board," he said.
He "really" learned to sail in college where he was on the sailing team. After graduating in Sociology from Brandeis University in Massachusetts, he did graduate work at Columbia University in New York. He became a volunteer sailing coach at both Michigan and Columbia, and arrived in Seattle two years ago to become director of Sail Sand Point. "I love to sail, but not too fast. In other words, I'm not a racer. I just want others to love sailing."
In addition to running and teaching at Sail Sand Point, he coaches the UW sailing team and some high school sail racers.
Last year nearly 350 youngsters and 150 adults learned to sail or became better sailors at Sail Sand Point in a number of classes and sailing camps for anyone age six and older.
The organization has five fleets of sailboats, all used for instruction. The fleets include fourteen 8' Optimists, stable and fun for youngsters; six 14' Hunter 140s, responsive stable boats; 10 Lasers, the quick, light, responsive, and most commonly raced single-handed boat; six Flying Juniors, high performance collegiate racing boats, and five 14' Hobie Wave multi-hulls.
There are seven youth instructors, five associate instructors ages 16-18, and five adult instructors. All instructors are certified by U.S. Sailing.
The center is not a brokerage, boats are not sold, but sailors have access to the center's boats or dry moorage for their own boats which may be kept on the property.
In early June we visited an adult sailing class Morgan was teaching. Not only was it a good refresher course for us, we watched as he skillfully and humorously led the class through various activities before hanking on sails and actually sailing their 14' Hunters.
"What's the difference between a rope and a line?" he asked. A few questioning looks between students.
"A rope becomes a line when it's attached to a boat." So easy.
"Now you'll learn to tie a bowline," he said, passing out various lengths of rope, one to each student.
Everyone made a loop in the line almost as instructed and Morgan went through the standard "rabbit down the hole," story to help students remember how the line is tied. Several hands fumbled, several got it the first time, others worked hard, laughing at themselves and each other. Instructors Esther Clark and Alex Chun moved among the students along with Morgan, aiding in tying one of the most useful knots in boating.
"Will you remember how to tie this?" he asked. "Probably not today, but by the end of the three week class you'll all know how to do it like experts." Students relaxed.
"How do you find wind?" he asked.
They answered: looking at waves, flags, clouds, sail telltales, other sailboats, trees on shore. The class walked out on the main dock in a light, but slowly increasing breeze.
"Feel, the wind," he said. "Lick your finger and hold it up. The cool side will be where the wind hits it. Think about the wind on the skin on your face, in your eyes, in your hair; open your mouth and close your eyes and turn around until the wind blows in your mouth."
Back to the outdoor classroom where Morgan explained "tacking" or "coming about" with simple explanatory drawings on the board. He went through six easy tacking steps, discussing what the helmsman would say to the crew and what the crew person would say and do in return.
He incorporated student's answers into the discussion. When he came to step 4, the boat turning, someone suggested saying "duck" to avoid injury by the boom. "Quack" was the answer given by several, with grins all around. Helped everyone remember to duck.
A short discussion of docking boats under various wind conditions was followed by a demonstration of proper sail folding, "leech has the battens, roll along the leech."
Students then put rudders on their Hunter 140s, which were still out of the water on the float. They practiced moving from one side of the boat to the other to get used to the feel of the motion while tacking or coming about on the water, while at the same time handling the tiller and the main sheet. The crew would handle the jib sheet. They would soon do this under sail.
"Remember the three Ts to avoid trouble or a collision while sailing," he cautioned. "Tiller towards trouble should keep you out of trouble." He's right, and makes it sound so logical.
Students donned lifevests, raised sails, shoved the boats into the water, two persons to a boat, lowered centerboards, stepped in and began to sail out onto Lake Washington.
Well, some did. A few had to remember again how to find the wind and then sail past a large shed on the dock.
Once out in the open the feel and thrill of sailing took over and they no longer looked like novices.
The wind had picked up over the first hour and the six boats with the 12 students quickly sailed a figure-8 course on the lake like they'd been doing it all their lives.
They loved it, the classes and instructors and what fun sailing truly is. And that's the whole idea of Sail Sand Point, of course.
Sail Sand Point was started seven years ago by John and Marcy Edwards, Leslie Keller, Janice Stewart and Deb Sullivan. They felt there were not enough opportunities for non-yacht club youngsters to learn to sail.
Sail Sand Point runs from March through October and there are numerous classes and programs to choose from. The programs have grown annually with classes and camps for youngsters ages 6-17 from June 27 to August 12 this year. Kids ages 6 and 7 can actually start sailing in Optimist dinghies during the week long, half-day Junior Opti Camp. The regular Opti Camp, two weeks of half-day sessions, is for 8 to 13 year olds.
Youth camps are for ages 10-17, one or two weeks long, to learn to sail in various boats. A short course sailing camp is open to anyone age 10-17 who wants to learn to sail.
High school sailing programs start in March and go through October. Sand Point Youth Sailing (SPYS) a founding program, is designed to use racing as both an exciting sport and as a learning tool to become a better sailor. In addition, this is a highly social group which will attend four regattas as a team in the 2005 season. The group meets Wednesdays and Saturdays from April through September, with races and barbecues on Wednesdays, and practice on Saturdays.
"This is the oldest program and the kids are advanced sailors. They're really good kids, both boys and girls and they're involved in a program they really enjoy," Morgan said. This group also races in the weekly Duck Dodge races on Lake Union.
In addition there are three racing programs for boys and girls ages 11-17. There is also a one week camp designed just for girls only where they'll make plans to go sailing as a group. There are other cruising camps and a class to learn to be a sailing counselor.
Adult sailing programs, for beginners through advanced, started in May and run through August.
For more detailed information about classes, dates, costs, scholarships and more, contact Sail Sand Point at www.sailsandpoint.org or call 206-525-8782.
There are other sailing programs in the greater Puget Sound area offered through sailing schools and yacht clubs.
Sail Sand Point is on the shore at the far north end of Magnuson Park and uses some of the docks and floats that were formerly part of the now defunct naval base.
Construction on reconfiguring the main dock and other portions of the sailing center is due to start August 15 of this year. Morgan Collins says hopefully the sailing center will stay open during the work.
Phase 1 will include adding floats along the main dock, along with other improvements. Phase 2 will include resurfacing the dock, and regrading. For more details on the construction, go to Seattle Parks and Recreation Warren G. Magnuson Park Concept and Future Design.
Visit Sail Sand Point's website for information on activities and programs.
|
click any photo below to enlarge...
Kids get comfortable on the boat and in the water.
Leading the pack during a SPYS practice race.
High school Hobie Wave sailors.
Morgan Collins giving a tacking lession
Making zoom...
Adult class in progress.
Proposed site plan.
Jo & Carl are authors of Gunkholing in the San Juan Islands, a Comprehensive Cruising Guide Encompassing Deception Pass to the Canadian Boundary, and Gunkholing in South Puget Sound, a Comprehensive Cruising Guide from Kingston/Edmonds South to Olympia. Both gunkholing books are available at bookstores and chandleries. Jo & Carl can be reached at gunkholing@earthlink.net, or at 206-323-1315 for slide show presentations of cruising in Northwest waters.
|
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)