My ten year old took her first sailing class two years ago. Last year she took the intermediate jr sailing class. Over the winter I have been telling her she could take the 170 out with a friend this year. Today seemed like a good day, light wind, easy sail. When we got to the lake the wind was much higher than it had been when we made this decision, but I didn't go back on my word (even though I wanted to). The sailing teacher has told me that she is ready for this, and what is more, it's a 1000 acre lake, it's not like she is going to wind up in the shipping channel - or blow over to Canada or something. After all, you can't get lost if you can see all the way across the lake. Still I was like a mother hen the whole time the girls were out there. I reefed the main and told them not to fly the jib. I told them not to cleat the sheet and remember the Douglas Adams rules #1 Don't Panic #2 bring a towel, because a towel can be extremely useful. Anyway they were out for a couple hours and seemed to do fine. The wind continued to increase the entire time they were out, I believe I aged a few years, next time hopefully it will be easier for me. I know what you are thinking, not quite a solo, but it's a lot of boat for a 90 lb girl. Her friend is two years older than she is - but had never been sailing before. john
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Good Job
Good Job Dad, did they have a good time? Your luck to have kids who like to sail. Mine don't Brian
Good Job Dad, did they have a good time? Your luck to have kids who like to sail. Mine don't Brian
they had a great time
My ten year old daughter loves to sail. She seems pretty fearless on the boat, which is not entirely consistant with her personality off the water! She loves to hang a rope off the stern cleat and then jump off the boat and catch the rope as it goes past. My seven year old son will not go on the boat. The junior sailing instructor at the nearby lake is like a pied piper, she turns kids into sailing junkies. I am hoping to convince my son to take her class next summer. j
My ten year old daughter loves to sail. She seems pretty fearless on the boat, which is not entirely consistant with her personality off the water! She loves to hang a rope off the stern cleat and then jump off the boat and catch the rope as it goes past. My seven year old son will not go on the boat. The junior sailing instructor at the nearby lake is like a pied piper, she turns kids into sailing junkies. I am hoping to convince my son to take her class next summer. j
You did the right thing...
If your kids are a bit of a speed junkie like me put them on a sailboat to work it out. When I was 9 (no formal sailing training just learned with my mom) I convinced her to let me take our 12' puffer sailboat out alone on Green Bay way up in a bay just past Ellison Bay. On shore the wind seemed quite managable but I took it about half a mile out where the wind really was. I looked quite sedate for the first 20 minutes so while people were using the landing to launch othes boats I continued to figure out where the wind was and how to really drive a clean beam reach. When I finally figured it out and tipped her about 50 degrees I was on top of the world. That was the bomb... I was out every day... then one day I tipped it all the way over- which is ok in a boat that size. Then I discovered that at 90 lbs soaking wet I could stand on the centerboard all day and never tip the boat up... that is until I unhooked the sail from the boom which took me a very nervous 20 minutes to figure out. GAME BACK ON (AFTER SOME BAILING...bring a towel...you can do a lot with a towel.)
If your kids are a bit of a speed junkie like me put them on a sailboat to work it out. When I was 9 (no formal sailing training just learned with my mom) I convinced her to let me take our 12' puffer sailboat out alone on Green Bay way up in a bay just past Ellison Bay. On shore the wind seemed quite managable but I took it about half a mile out where the wind really was. I looked quite sedate for the first 20 minutes so while people were using the landing to launch othes boats I continued to figure out where the wind was and how to really drive a clean beam reach. When I finally figured it out and tipped her about 50 degrees I was on top of the world. That was the bomb... I was out every day... then one day I tipped it all the way over- which is ok in a boat that size. Then I discovered that at 90 lbs soaking wet I could stand on the centerboard all day and never tip the boat up... that is until I unhooked the sail from the boom which took me a very nervous 20 minutes to figure out. GAME BACK ON (AFTER SOME BAILING...bring a towel...you can do a lot with a towel.)
bRAVE dAD, BRAVE DAUGHTER
You must have nerves of steel! 10 is pretty young! She must be a lucky girl that Dad places that must trust and faith in her. Thanks for hte story.
You must have nerves of steel! 10 is pretty young! She must be a lucky girl that Dad places that must trust and faith in her. Thanks for hte story.
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