We did something…. This is new.

We might be gluttons for punishment. We bought into a fractional membership sailing club in Chicago, at Burnham Harbor Marina on Lake Michigan. We signed on in late August (at a discounted rate) and the boat is a Beneteau Oceanis 30 which we share with the owner and a handful of other members.

Being new to the club, we agreed to an orientation session with a captain for our first outing – a necessary step. On this day, the winds were coming from the north at about 25 knots but Captain Keith assured us we’d be okay. Within 20 minutes of boarding the boat, I took the helm and fired up the engine. I had no clue how the boat felt under power but I put the motor in reverse and backed us out of the slip. The wind was coming at the bow and the fairway behind me was narrow. “Slow is pro” is how we normally roll but there was no time for that. I didn’t have time nor room so I pivoted to port-side then threw ‘er forward and starboard out into the fairway. Harrowing.

I managed to get us through the fairway without killing ourselves. I turned south into the channel, passing docks M – S on my starboard beam, the wind on the stern.

After the final dock, Keith had me double back around so that we could practice approaching the dock. I circled around and slowly approached the dock at a 90 degree angle, heading north, directly up wind. About a boat length away from the dock, I started to ease into it, turning starboard at about 45 degrees. Once the nose of the bow was obstructing my view of the dock but not yet hitting it, I turned hard to starboard and threw the motor in reverse to stop the boat. This lined us up perfectly parallel to the dock where Keith was able to hop off and tie the stern line to a cleat. With the stern stationary, the wind started to push the bow south, away from the dock. To counteract it, I immediately put the motor back in forward, turned the wheel all the way to port (back toward the dock) and gave it some juice! With the engine revved, the boat pivoted on the keel and slowly drew the bow back to the dock where Kent was able to secure the bow line. 

This is tricky business, my friends.

I repeated the process three times, including one fly-by.

Kent was up next – he did the exact same thing. Once he completed his rounds, we headed back up to the slip. This time, the wind was 25 knots at our stern. Kent navigated us back up through the channel and into the fairway, the wind 25 knots on our port beam. 

As he approached, he overshot the slip and had to try again. He somehow managed to spin the boat around so we were moving forward out of the fairway. It was excrutiatingly slow and all eyes were on us. He came back in a second time – great success. When it was all over, Kent sat down in the cockpit and I don’t think I’ve ever seen his face turn so white.

Neither of us could believe that there wasn’t a point at which Keith didn’t jump at the helm just to take over. It was like driver’s training, only the vehicle costs 10x as much (or more), and so does every other vehicle.

Back in the slip, Keith suggested we go back out and get into Lake Michigan. But I declined because I wouldn’t go out in 25 knots. Kent agreed and Keith got to go home.

I didn’t get any video that day.

I didn’t get any video on our second outing either but you can read about it here: New Boat, New Water, New Skills

I did get video of our last sail of the season! See video here: Our last day sail of the season in Lake Michigan!! Pure gorgeous!