Lessons
I began sailing in 2013, when my Sea Scout Ship was formed as a unit. We were kindly donated a Cal 20 sailboat, which we re-fiberglassed and painted over the course of the summer. Our Ship formed a relationship with several yacht clubs in Detroit, which has helped us grow as a unit.
The Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle has donated 2 months of introductory sailing lessons to our unit every summer since we were formed. I was among the first batch of scouts to take these lessons, and from the first launch, I was hooked. I learned the basic parts of a sailboat, how to helm the boat, how to trim the sails, and the "rules of the water" when it comes to boat traffic.
The Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle has donated 2 months of introductory sailing lessons to our unit every summer since we were formed. I was among the first batch of scouts to take these lessons, and from the first launch, I was hooked. I learned the basic parts of a sailboat, how to helm the boat, how to trim the sails, and the "rules of the water" when it comes to boat traffic.
We then got in touch with some Skippers who had raced in the Bells Beer Bayview Mackinac Race- they needed crew to bring their boats back to their home port. The youth who had taken lessons with DYC organized into teams to sail two boats back over the course of 4 days. The tradition of the "Mack Sail Back" began, and we have sent teams of scouts almost every year since.
We then had to find a home port for the Cal20, which is when we started a relationship with Edison Boat Club. They offered us a dock and winter storage in exchange for scouts helping with grounds work and major club events. This was the foundation for the next round of club lessons- the Edison Boat Club Skippers Card lessons. We started these lessons the next year, and learned about the points of sail, racing techniques, weather considerations, and man overboard drills.