Karen W.
Yelp
The Center for Wooden Boats has done what I never thought possible: make a sailor, nay, a skipper, out of this land lubber. Whereas my partner seems to have a natural affinity for all things sailing, I felt like I was a cat being brought to water. So I always felt like I would make good crew if you told me what to do, but I won't actually be able to take a boat out by myself. Well, here's what worked for me. When you become a member of the Center for Wooden Boats, you can rent, for a very reasonable price, a little cabin that they manage at Cama Beach, which is north of Whidbey Island. I had already taken the basic sailing course before and still didn't feel confident. Our little family booked a half week trip to stay at Cama Beach and we had private lessons for 3 days straight. Half day each for me and my partner, while one of us was on land with the kids. Our instructor, Ryan, was an incredible teacher, who understood that he was teaching technical skills and also instilling confidence. He was so patient and supportive! On day one I could only focus on one small thing (trimming the jib), to the last day where I was tacking confidently and practicing safe jibes. At the next opportunity, I had a practice sail and then passed my livery test at South Lake Union, single-handing the boat. I really didn't think I could progress that quickly, and was kind of giving up on myself. So thank you to Center for Wooden Boats, and Ryan, our volunteer instructor, for bringing the joy of sailing to me and so many others.