40 Years Later

Sailing for a day out of Marblehead Harbor (Massachusetts) aboard a 40-ft yawl did it. I was hooked on sailing! At the impressionable age of ten, this experience unknowingly set the course for the rest of my life.

My subconscious mind must have played a part many years later; I introduced my then 4-year old daughter to sailing. I don’t remember having a conscious thought directing me to do so. If I have to place the “blame” somewhere, it would be on that little voice inside my mind that whispered, “take her sailing.”

So it was that my daughter first took the tiller (with a guiding hand) on my 1972 Coronado 27. We were day-sailing on San Pablo Bay after leaving the Vallejo Marina. The sun was shining and the breeze was gentle – perfect conditions for her introduction to sailing. The “hook” was set. Sailing with dad went on the become a much-enjoyed event.

Fast forward to 2018 . . .

With the demands of family and work, plus the geographic challenge of living in Portland (OR), her opportunity to sail with me is not easily arranged. However, “daddy-daughter” sailing does happen, just not as often as we would prefer.

Now, she no longer needs a guiding hand on the wheel (no tiller on this boat -- an Island Packet 38). I have a devoted and eager crewmember who enjoys sailing and overnight cruises with a stop in a marina or at anchor.

Our last such cruise consisted of sailing to San Francisco and overnighting in South Beach Marina. A hike along the Embarcadero brought us to the restaurant Palomino for an excellent dinner. There is hardly a better way to spend some quality time with one’s daughter.