My thanks to those who showed other women the way …
Issue 4 : Jan/Feb 1999
Wanda, where are you now? A counselor at Minnesota’s Camp Birchwood, you taught me the rudiments of sailing years ago. Like you, I was a counselor there, teaching crafts and maintaining order in a hut full of unruly girls. You had a hut full, too, and taught sailing. Sometimes, for sport or leisure, you took me out sailing during time off. You taught me the names of the lines and rigging and let me take my turn at the tiller. You taught me a tack from a jibe. I wasn’t into the details at the time, but I bet those were Thistles or Lightnings we sailed so long ago.
That was a magical summer for a young Hoosier girl. I saw my first northern lights — the best display I’ve ever seen in all my Minnesota summers since then. I never dreamed I’d end up sailing in these northern waters regularly. I grew up on two skis at the end of a towrope behind a powerboat. Our family had a lot of fun water-skiing, and I learned the distinction between bow and stern, port and starboard. That left training in much of the rest of the terminology to you, Wanda.
Later, much later, I met a sailor. I thought I knew a few things about sailing after our outings so many years before. He was and still is patient and understanding with me as he teaches me the rest (and there’s so much more to learn). Sometimes, it turns out he doesn’t know it all, and we learn together. I don’t think we’ll ever stop learning about this activity we enjoy so much. With many thanks to you and many more to the skipper who patiently takes me with him and teaches me as I’m ready to learn, I’ve been having a wonderful time expanding on the earliest concepts you taught me.
There must be dozens or hundreds of Wandas out there who led other women to sailing. (By the way, those young campers must be in their 30s and early 40s by now!) On behalf of them and others like me, Wanda, let me say, “Thank you.” And one more thing, are you still out there sailing?
Thank you to Sailrite Enterprises, Inc., for providing free access to back issues of Good Old Boat through intellectual property rights. Sailrite.com
