On the Water

A Sailor's Life for Me

Learn to man a boat in just nine hours at the Community Boating Center

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There is boating, and there is sailing. I’ve been on plenty of motorboats in my life, but never a sailboat – I didn’t understand the appeal. When cruising past sailboats on a motorboat, I generally had one of two reactions. The first was, “Wow, those people are patient!” When Mother Nature is your engine, you move at her pace, not yours. Clearly these sailors did not have dinner reservations. The second was, “Wow, those people are working!” Crews on big boats rushing around, pulling ropes, hoisting sails – none of this jibed with my idea of boating as a leisure activity.

Perhaps my disdain for sailing was a remnant of high school. My sailor friends sat on the water for an afternoon to receive their “sports” credit, while I suffered late spring heat waves on a lacrosse field sweating under a helmet and pads. But with my social circle peppered by avid sailors and the hoopla of America’s Cup races in Newport this year, part of me was curious to know what all the fuss was about. So when asked to write about Providence’s Community Boating Center (CBC) this month, my immediate reaction was, “I need to get on a sailboat.”

On a hot Saturday morning, I headed to CBC for a lesson. The property is easy to find – located in India Point Park, and in Rhode Island parlance, next to the old Shooters. I was met by Will Lippitt, the organization’s sailing program coordinator. Will came to Rhode Island with a boat building degree from Seattle, and he finished his undergrad studies at Brown. A “water kid” who has sailed all his life, Will started “teaching the eight-year-olds when I was 10, the 10-year-olds when I was 12, and worked my way up from there.” Clearly, I was in good hands for my maiden voyage.

We started with a tour of the facility and some background. The center opened in June of 1994, in minimalist form – just a small fleet of boats, a few docks and a storage shed. The project came together with donated materials and volunteer labor, a collaborative effort that remains critical to the center’s operations and success today. The existing boathouse was completed in 2002, and it contains office space, bathrooms, a classroom and a deck that can be rented for private events.

The ever-growing fleet includes over 60 boats, most of which are the “bread and butter” Hunter 140’s – 14-foot sailboats that are used during open sailing and instructional classes. These can be sailed by an individual or a small crew. Lippitt explains, “One person is possible, two is fun, three is comfortable, and four is okay.” There are a few larger 170s and 216s (measuring 17-feet and 21.5 feet, respectively), a catamaran, and 20 kayaks. Lippitt highlights the kayaks as a new initiative “to reach more people” – CBC recognizes that it’s in a position to make not just sailing accessible, but the entire waterfront as well.

CBC is a non-profit 501(c)3 charitable organization, which Lippitt describes as “the basis of what we do… keeping it affordable for anyone to come.” As with many small non-profits, a lean, jack-of-all-trades staff heads a team of dedicated volunteers. Lippitt, for one, has spent three years as sailing program coordinator but his daily duties run the gamut. He could be teaching kids’ classes, teaching adult classes, or putting his boat building degree to work by repairing boats. When asked if the center supplements its revenue by selling repair services, Lippitt responds, “The work here is enough to handle. We accept donations and they’re not always in the best condition. And as with any boat – there’s always another thing [to be fixed].” The main task, however, is coordinating the volunteer effort Lippitt stresses as “crucial.” He explains, “[Volunteerism] makes it work, and makes everyone’s job easier. You’ll see kids in youth camp that come back later to teach classes. It’s an effective method to teach and reach people. It’s a culture, and it works well.”

CBC’s mission is to “make sailing affordable and accessible in Rhode Island,” and for a relatively nominal fee of $195, individual adult members have unlimited season access to most of the fleet (there are modified membership fees for kids, families, groups and businesses, plus discounts for Providence residents, students and seniors). The season runs from Memorial Day to October, and open sailing and kayaking occurs every day from 1-7pm. During this time, members can take sailboats and kayaks out on their own at no additional cost. The only requirement to participate is that you must initially demonstrate some basic water knowledge and training through a written test and an on-water practical.

For those without any experience, CBC offers a variety of classes. There are classes for kids and adults, and they can be taken as a weekly series or a one-day Saturday intensive class from 9am-6pm. I was skeptical of being water-ready after a few hours of training, but Lippitt set me straight, “You definitely can come out of the classes ready to sail – we make you do everything. I’m pretty impressed with people’s skills by the end, and I think it comes from the excitement and readiness in people that are here because they really want to learn. We like catering to that.”

Lippitt continues, “We teach you what you need to be safe and hang out in the bay on a boat. Of course there are many finer points to sailing that we may not cover, but it’s a question of how far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? On the first day you’ll master steering and the hard part will be remembering all the terms and how to talk like a pirate. Ultimately, you’ll get the best training by being out there on your own.”

It was time for my lesson, and we began in the classroom with a textbook. The first topic was a quick overview of the parts of a boat, essential knowledge when being directed to maneuver the ‘halyard’ or ‘jib’ (the pirate talk begins immediately). Next was wind detection, and Lippitt explained, “Throwing grass in the air works on a golf course, but not on the water. You need to feel it on your face, neck and hands, or turn yourself until you’re pointed directly at it. Visual cues like water ripples and discolorations can also help. “

community boating center, cbc, sailing, boats, sail, kayak, kayaking, water, india point, east side monthly, providence
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