Our family had the opportunity at the end of September to go sailing on a lake near us. The yacht club was offering free sailboat rides to the community. Because there were 7 of us, we had to split up and go on 2 different boats. I had 2 of the girls with me and my husband took the 2 boys and our other daughter.
It was a gorgeous day with a gentle 10 mph wind that was perfect for sailing.
Aye, Aye, Captain!
There was a stowaway aboard! She got to use the tiny toilet & sink. My 2 yr. old also got to try out the facilities, which is always the first place she wants to investigate when she visits a new place.
My middle child loved standing at the very front of the bow as we sped across the water. I was glad she held on tight to the thin "safety" cable. She loved the thrill and the wind in her hair.
There were several sailboats on the water preparing for a sailing regatta (sailboat race) that afternoon. It was a beautiful sight!
My toddler loved sailing and wasn't content sitting here for long. She crawled to the very front of the boat and dangled one foot at a time above the water. It was scary for me when she tried to slide under the cable to put both of her feet in the water. I held her back while she screamed in protest. It would have been a chilly day for a swim. She's a little daredevil!
I had a blast sailing! When I was a child, my mom went to sailing classes. She had a 14 foot Hobie Cat (catamaran.) I loved going out on the water with her. She started giving me sailing lessons when I was a teenager. My mom won several races because she was so light (only about 100lbs) and she was a great sailor! Going out on the water brought back a lot of great memories for me. When I was 16 years old, I was sailing with my mom on the lake when we got surprised by an afternoon pop-up thunderstorm. The waves were over 3 feet high and we capsized (tipped the sailboat over) in the high winds and driving rain. There is a technique you learn while tipping over to land safely in the water, mainly avoid getting hit by the mast as it comes down and avoid getting tangled in the sail and pulled under the water. My mom & I both jumped/fell to safety and were rescued by a motorboat that my stepdad was following us in. About 30 minutes later, the storm passed and we headed back out on the lake in the motorboat to find the sailboat and try to recover it. We found the sailboat almost 2 miles away with rescue boats circling it. We let them know that everyone made it to safety. The sailboat was upside down with the mast pointing directly down, with the sail still attached. The resistance from the sail makes it almost impossible to turn upright in the water. With lots of help and brute strength, we were able to get to sailboat upright again and into the cove. I don't remember ever going out on the boat again. Even though it was a scary day, I have been itching to get back on the water ever since! The little sailboat we had looked a lot like the one pictured below. Oh, the memories!
