Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a sailing lesson at SailTime Door County with Captain Bill? Wait no longer for the full scoop!
Last year I had the pleasure of taking the American Sailing Association ASA 101 course with Captain Bill on the Snow Escape. In that class, I learned all the technical terms and details as a beginner sailor. What is a beam reach, a tack (No, not an attack as some have thought), or a transom? Before the class, I hadn’t had a clew (okay, okay enough puns).
Seriously though, I didn’t have a lot of boating experience in my life. I could’ve probably counted on one hand how much boating experience I had before I started boating with Captain Bill. I never started a boat motor. I really didn’t know much about boats in general beyond it seemed like something fun to do on a hot summer day.
As the wife of a captain, I wanted to learn how to sail a boat. I don’t have the passion Captain Bill has for sailing. I mean, who does?? I feel comfortable on the water, but I wanted something much more than that. I wanted to take control of the sailboat. God forbid, what if Captain Bill were to have a heart attack? Would I know what to do? What if he fell into the deep waters of the bay? Would I just leave him there and go off sailing into the sunset because I didn’t know how to help him?
I learned a lot of practical things in sailing 101. But I wanted something more. As I maintain the schedule for SailTime Door County, I decided to sign myself up for the ASA 103 class. The ASA 103 class includes an overnight stay on the sailboat.
We took the Alissa Joy with our new members, Ralph and Paula, to the Menominee Marina. Paula was taking the 103 class with me. In the 103 class, I learned some new things. This class wasn’t all about the sailing terms and how to tie knots. We learned that in 101.
Instead, I learned about a diesel engine. Paula and I even took turns docking the boat.
Although our classroom was on the water, it wasn’t just learning. We also had a fun trip with a beautiful view. After we got to the marina, there was live music playing in the park nearby. We walked around town and went to a nice restaurant. It was much more like a vacation than taking a class.
The next morning, Captain Bill said we needed to have a plan on how we were going to leave the dock and head back home.
And if you were wondering, I did pass the class and receive my ASA 103 certification. Contact Captain Bill Wons, 920-371-5599, to schedule your sailing vacation aboard the Alissa Joy (a Beneteau Oceanis) or Leah Helen (a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey).
