Scott and I have wanted to take sailing lessons for years and last month, we finally took a lesson from the Center for Wooden Boats (CWB) on Lake Union. The Center for Wooden Boats offers a variety of sailing packages or single lessons. We decided to take a lesson and schedule a “sailing checkout” so we could rent one of their small sailboats boats at any time.
The center takes reservations online and when I booked our lessons in August, they were full until the end of September. Luckily, it was a gorgeous sunny day and perfect for being on the water.
Normally the center is open to the public, but with the pandemic only those with reservations were allowed in. The boats are moored at their livery. At the turn of the 20th century, liveries were boathouses where the working class could rent a boat for leisure. The CWB Livery continues that tradition.
What type of sailboat did we learn on?
Scott and I have only sailed on a party catamaran and a small Hobie Cat in the Caribbean. We understand some basic terms, but sailing is much different than power boating. Everything has a name and a purpose. Our instructor Christian was very knowledgeable and shared a ton of information on the different terms.
Our sailboat was about 20′ long and known as a Blanchard Junior Knockout (a fractional sail boat). According to the CWB, the Blanchard boat company was formed by experienced boatwright Norman J. Blanchard Sr. in 1923 on the northeast side of Lake Union. It went on to become one of the most well-known and respected boat shops in the northwest. In 1932, N.J. Blanchard and Ben Seaborn designed the Blanchard Senior Knockabout, a small cabin sloop, in response to comments made by local boaters about how the International Star design had no cabin. The Senior was a cabin daysailer with the rig of a Star. (credit CWB)
The Blanchard Junior Knockabout was a new design which came shortly after. A 20’ open sloop, the hull was scaled down from the 26’ boat. The 20’ boat had only a short fore deck and aft deck and the long cockpit would easily seat 3 adults on each side bench. The 26’ cabin cruiser was called the Blanchard Senior Knockabout (BJK) and the 20’ version was the Blanchard Junior Knockabout (BJK). (credit CWB)
Time to take sailing lessons!
Christian got in the boat first and raised the main sail. Then I climbed in and sat in the front, so Scott could steer from the stern. Remember, there’s no motor on this boat, so Scott gave us a big push off and we headed north. Our instructor was so calm explaining everything to us. I immediately got nervous that we were heading towards a very large yacht and Scott was completely in charge of our forward direction.
Christian dove right in and showed us how to catch wind for moving forward. Our issue was we really didn’t have any winds. They were coming from the north at 1-2 knots, and predicted to kick up to 3-4 knots a couple of hours later. So Scott did his best moving us up the lake. At one point, the boat keeled over about 15 degrees and it freaked me out, as I was on the downside of the boat, near the water line. Watch the YouTube video and see how I reacted.
During our sailing lesson, we learned about wind indicators on the sails, different types of knots and how to hold the lines properly. Let’s just say, there is a completely different language in sailing, compared to power boating.
Christian also did a man overboard exercise by throwing a floating cushion into the water. Our job was to tack back and work our way to the cushion to rescue it. When you are a power boater, whether it’s a motor yacht or a dinghy, you rely solely on your engines to move you. By only having a sail and wind, it’s a lot of work!
Docking the boat
After an hour and a half, it was time for Scott to dock the boat and let me take the helm. We’re used to not only docking with engines, but with thrusters. This should be fun! With the winds coming from the north, we headed south. You sail the boat parallel with the dock and then turn perpendicular towards the dock. When the bow is about 3′ or so from the dock, you use your tiller to turn parallel to the dock. Also, keep in mind, the tiller works in the opposite direction you want to go (similar to a hand-controlled outboard engine). Scott did a great job!
Once we touched the dock, we switched seats and I was at the helm.
We only spent about 30 minutes with me, as it was 2:30p and we had reserved our lessons from 1 – 3p. Our plan was first the lesson, followed by a scheduled “check-out.” Before using the sailboats, you must pass a short checkout sail to make sure that you are comfortable handling traditional small boats. Checkouts cost $25, take approximately 30 minutes, and require demonstrating single-handed sailing and docking skills, and understanding right-of-way rules.
By 3pm, the winds picked up to about 5 knots and Christian asked Scott if he still wanted to do his checkout. With the winds and our limited time on the water, we all agreed we need more practice before attempting our sailing checkout. Figures, the winds picked up after our lesson.
Are we going to become sailors now?
Scott and I both agreed, sailing is hard work! It’s bad enough trying to steer a power boat through tight, shallow channels and watch for debris. But then to be on a vessel that has a lot of moving parts (sails, lines, halyards, winches), no thanks! However, in the future, we might still complete the checkout, so we can rent a boat on nice days. The CWB has more than just the Lake Union location. They also have a livery on Camano Island at Cama Beach! Who knew?
Overall, it’s a great program and very affordable for those who want to learn to sail. We’re fortunate to live so close to and have so many options to be on the water.
As always, thank you for following our journey! Please be sure to subscribe to our blog and YouTube channel (link at the end of this blog). You can follow us on social media @BoatingJourney.
Next week, we’ll take you on a tour of a 1995 Sea Ray 55 Motor Yacht. Stay tuned!
