What a Sailing School Can Be

by Nick Hayes, SpinSheet
Taji Jacobs saw a Facebook post about a new kind of sailing program, discussed it with the family over dinner, and they decided to give it a try.

Taji was always on the look-out for fun outdoor activities that might be done as a family. Her daughter Adi was nine, fearless, fiery, and loved the feeling of fast. Adi’s happiest day was hitting the required height for the Anaconda roller coaster at the theme park.

Daud was 13, mildly asthmatic, quick, bright, and the technical guru of the family. He hadn’t yet met a school subject he couldn’t ace or a computer game he couldn’t master. Mom was convinced that he needed fresh air.

Taji’s husband Paul often reminisced about sailing with childhood neighbors who car-topped a Phantom to a Northwoods campsite a couple of summers.

Taji thought sailing might be fun for everyone, though she was a bit apprehensive herself. Would she feel scared? What if she didn’t understand the lingo and made a mistake that caused trouble? Would the kids think it was boring? Would Paul be interested? She researched carefully.

The sailing school supplied life jackets and highly trained sailing instructors, watched the weather, and boasted a durable safety record. Check.

The school’s class flyer said that kids would drive a sailboat on the first day, if they wanted to. Check.

Dads and moms chatting on Facebook used surprising adjectives such as calming, thrilling, inspiring. Check.

The first lesson was like nothing the family had ever experienced. They were met in the parking lot by a confident, articulate counselor named Janelle who handed out sunscreen and raved about the glorious weather and the fact that they’d get wet, but be safe. – Read on