On the Water Edition

Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club's Centennial Celebration

Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club will celebrate its 100th anniversary this Saturday, June 7th.

For more information, contact Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club at 718-891-0991.

Learn to Sail in One Night: $25

On Friday, June 6, Miramar Yacht Club is offering its "Learn to Sail in One Night" class to non-members. The class is condensed to only the basics of what's needed to know how to sail. The veteran instructors will cover:
sailing nomenclature, parts of a sail, apparent wind, Bernoulli Principle, points of sail, luffing, sail trim, slowing and stopping a sailboat, sailing again after a stop, tacking, jibing, general rules of the road, red-right-return, anchoring, docking and a few knots. Whew!

And they are offering a free sail the class runs from 8:00pm - 10:30 p.m. and cost $25, which includes materials, refreshments and we'll mention the free sail again.

To make a reservation or get information please call 718-743-5823 or e-mail sail@miramaryc.com.

Springy Dinghy

Today's lazy-as-heck post has me link to Frogma, which has a post and photos of some Laser sailors from the Sebago Canoe Club.

Yacht Clubs of Brooklyn: Sorta Edition, Sebago Canoe Club

It's finally Spring, which means that we'll be sailing soon. But what do others, who have a passion to breathe the salt-air and experience the aero- and hydro-dynamics of sailing, but have a very limited budget do to start making plans to get on the water?

The simplest thing would be to find a friend with a boat and mooch! (For those moochers out there, the appropriate etiquette is to offer to help the skipper perform pre-season work on their boat, such as sanding and painting. And when you're invited, bring something, whether beer, fruit, water or sandwiches. It will be appreciated.)

Let's say you don't know anyone with a boat, there are still some low-cost options out there for you. One is the Sebago Canoe Club located on the Paerdegat Basin in Canarsie, Brooklyn. SCC has been around for 75 years and is easily accessible to Jamaica Bay after a short sail/paddle under Belt Parkway. As we can personally attest, Jamaica Bay is a fantastic sailing area, but our friends at SCC tell us that Paerdegat Basin "can be a bit nasty at times - particularly when the sewage goes to the storm drains and empties into the Basin, but once out of the Basin and into the Jamaica Bay it is an amazing place to sail and perfect for small boats and truly beautiful."

Sebago Canoe Club's sailing program is very different from a traditional yacht club/sailing club. The club is all volunteer - no paid staff so everything is done by their members - and the sailing committee is quite small (15-20 members) by comparison to the club's kayaking group.
All of Sebago's boats are limited by what can be carried down the ramp that goes to their dock. In terms of sailing, they sail one-design dinghies including Lasers, Sunfish, and Force 5s. The club has several sailors who have larger skiff type boats and some members still have and use sailing canoes. The club's boats include two Lasers, three Sunfish, a Super Sunfish, a Force 5 and a Club 420.

SCC's club boats are available to members who have been "certified." (Information is on their website outlining the requirements.) Additionally the club requires yearly work by it's members as part of the membership requirement. Because SCC maintains all of its boats, their sailing members must be self-sufficient with getting their boats down to the water and launched. Unfortunately, SCC does not offer rentals and does not have a youth program.

SCC has an annual sailing class for members, that includes classroom, rigging instruction, some on-the-ground practice and then on-the-water practice both days - (second day usually includes an extensive cruise, followed by a beaching, setting up buoys and putting the students through the paces of boat handling and capsizing). This year it takes place on June 28th and 29th. Our friends at Sebago Canoe Club limit their classes to members because the class has a 1:1 ratio of students to instructors. In addition, SCC's sailors plan cruises once a month throughout the summer and have races every Friday evening (on the water by 5:30pm). If last year is any indication, SCC is serious about racing. They had more than 16 club races in 2007.

The only time SCC takes out non-members is at their open house, which is scheduled to take place on May 24th.

Considering that family memberships start at $250, individual memberships are $175, this may be one of the best summertime options for New Yorkers looking to get on the water. I'm sure that even Madame X would approve of this expense.

Learn To Sail

Are you one of those people who's always been interested in sailing, but never stepped aboard a boat. If that's you, now is your chance to take some action by enrolling in Miramar Yacht Club's introductory sailing classes. The classes will cover the basics of sailing, including: basic safety, nomenclature, points of sail, sail trim , tacking, jibing, leaving and returning to a mooring, heaving to, anchoring, rules of the road, how to tie basic knots, weather, tides, and chart reading.

The three onshore classes and one lesson on a boat, are a perfect opportunity to test the waters. Classes start Friday, March 28th at 7:30, p.m. and run the same time on April 4 and April 11th. The classes cost $50 per person, $75 for families. Refreshments and materials are included.

For more information, call Miramar Yacht Club at 718-743-5823.

Red Hook Community Sailing: Get Involved

In Red Hook, there is a good organization called PortSide New York that is dedicated to making connections between Red Hook's land lubbers and its storied waterfront. In addition to to saving and preserving the tanker Mary Whalen, which acts as their home base, the group has a job board and and plenty of maritime information relevant to Red Hook and the greater waterfront community.

We were particularly excited to hear that PortSide New York is working to start a community sailing program in Red Hook. We've been told they have a "classic plastic" Morgan 24 sailboat donated to this effort and will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, May 16 for anyone who is interested in helping. The meeting takes place at:

Community Board 6 Parks Committee
Red Hook Recreation Center
155 Bay Street (@ Henry Street)

We love the idea of community sailing and applaud PortSide New York for their efforts.