Sink or Sail?

A Personal Narrative by Jenny McCain

As I shifted my weight to the corner of the opti, I felt the sinking (literally) sensation of cold water pouring into the boat. Crying and waving my arms did nothing. After wiping my tears away, I was expected to bail this dinghy myself. This was not a promising start.

I didn’t know it then, but this moment of pain was something I needed to grow up a bit. No one thinks that being dropped off at summer camp is going to change their life, but then a sailing camp is not like any other camp. 

I was 15 when I first attended a local youth sailing program. It was on an inland lake that was just big enough to look scary to a kid who hadn’t spent much time on boats before. A bit clumsy and shy, I found myself quite alone on the lake in a wooden opti just big enough to hold my teenage frame, and this one was likely enough to sink, in my estimation. I watched the other kids younger than me glide around the lake, steering the tiller between their knees while they stood up in the boat, hollering to other sailors. 

After that first day of nearly (I thought) sinking the boat, my instructor Wendy took me aside and calmed my fears. Give it one more try, she said. Nothing great comes right away. Tomorrow will be a better day. As I weighed this advice against my fear of another day of capsizing my boat, I knew she was right. The simple advice of not giving up early was clear.

Eventually, the lure of water extended in all directions, the independence of managing a boat to myself, and the peaceful solitude of the lake – they all spoke to me. This was a skill that I could grow into and have for life.

After that fateful 2-week session of learning the ropes of beginning sailing, I spent more time each summer volunteering there. Someone had to tell me to stop volunteering and get certified to teach there. It was a perfect job for a college kid going to school to be a teacher. Hearing the loons call each morning as you set marks for courses was magical. Seeing children grow in confidence with each session was infectious. I was hooked.

After 8 summers of teaching children, I grew restless and wanted to see if I could do more beyond our precious little pond. Again, had it not been for another friend who told me the bigger waters were not too much for me, I wouldn’t have mentored at an ASA school as I studied to get my captain’s license. I don’t understand why more teachers don’t do this on the side. It has been the perfect summer job for me for many years. I’ve made lifelong friends with some of my ASA students and weathered some fantastic storms out on Lake Michigan. 

How does one start their journey into sailing? Maybe many others have a story like mine, but I wish it was more commonplace. Sailing draws you in and feeds your soul. When you learn to be at one with the boat and glide through any conditions that the weather throws at you, then there’s no going back.

My name is Jenny McCain, and I’m the Director of Educational Development at ASA. I get the enormous pleasure of taking my love of learning as a school teacher, my love of literacy as a reading specialist, and my love of the sea all combined into one amazing job. The people you meet out on the water love adventure and learning new things.

As Isak Dinesen wrote, “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” I could have stayed with the tears and found that to be enough to give up, but the sea is a strong force. Finding the love of sailing is hopelessly incurable. You’ll never want to go home.