“Hey, I can see Mt. Rainier!“ exclaimed my new-found friend as we walked toward my boat.

“Is this the first time you’ve seen the mountain from the water?“ I asked. “

No, it’s the first time I’ve seen the mountain since I moved here two weeks ago“ was his reply. That’s when I knew that I might have a bit of local knowledge to contribute the collective wisdom of our crew for the day. But I’m getting ahead of the story here.

I’m the proud co-owner, with my husband, of an Island Packet 32. A wonderfully stout go anywhere boat with a cut-away keel and, essentially, all the comforts of home in her broad belly. A truly sound haven. Although we’ve owned the boat for five years, until this year I really didn’t know how to sail her. That’s right. Own a boat for five years and not know how to sail.

How does this unfortunate circumstance come to be? Life gets in the way of sailing! The month after we brought the boat home to our small community dock at Kamilche Point, we decided it was time to move my elderly mother in with us. Our time was split between working at the office, and caregiving at home. No time for sailing.

Fast forward. Mom passed on just a month shy of her 94th birthday. Missing my mom, and Dad, but appreciating them more and more every day, I decided the time had come to learn to sail the boat. Now, my husband had, in another life, lived aboard and cruised to faraway lands on his previous boat. He knows his way around our boat and took care of everything when we were on the water, so it was easy for me to read a book, take photos, and take the occasional nap. But, I still wasn’t really learning to sail.

Oh, I took a basic sailing class, but that was several years in the past. I didn’t really recall much beyond port, starboard, bow and stern. I had never raised the main sail, opened the boat, nor navigated the shallow, current-heavy waters of our neighborhood, Totten Inlet, on my own. I decided the only way to learn was to take Soundhaven out without my husband onboard. But, I wasn’t quite ready to single-hand.

So, my first “solo“ trip was to Hope Island with my best friend from high school, her husband, 12-year-old son, and 80-plus year old parents. None of whom sailed. But, hey! I could motor to Hope and ease the boat to a near stop at a mooring buoy, which I was certain someone on the boat could grab. It worked! We caught a buoy, had a lovely lunch, and the youngers on board rowed ashore in the dinghy for a little exploration. I was the skipper of my own vessel. And then we had to dock.

Now, the little community dock at Kamilche Point is a patchwork of repairs and various styles of dock surface. It’s also at the mouth of Little Skookum Inlet, where the current runs wickedly strong and the shallow water leaves little room for error. Remember that mention of the big, heavy, one-foot-wide-at- the-base wall extending from the bottom of my boat, otherwise known as a cut-away keel? Sigh.

I slowed down, sucked it up, gave explicit instructions to my conscripted crew . With my heart pounding its way out of my chest, apparently to avoid the seemingly inevitable destruction that was about to happen, my hands sweating and my tongue so dry it was sticking to the roof of my mouth, I said to myself, “What’s the worst that can happen? We have insurance on the boat, the community has insurance on the dock, everyone onboard is wearing a PFD, if I ram the sucker into the dock and completely destroy everything, the insurance will pay for it and I’ll never have to face this challenge again. Okay, let’s do it.“ And, we did!

Then my friends went home to San Diego. And, I still hadn’t actually sailed on my own. Here’s where you, my amazingly helpful, supportive and inspiring fellow sailors from South Sound Sailing Society and the South Sound Women’s Sailing Group come in! First, I called upon Joy Johnson, Folie a Deux, who was willing to crew, read coach, for me! An accomplished woman who possesses the most wonderful qualities of sailing competency and seemingly endless patience, Joy and a young cousin of mine, first time sailor, went with me for a windless day of motoring on the boat. But we were out!

Next, Mary Campbell put together a “speed-matching“ session at a SSSS Meeting, so that those who needed crew and those needing a boat to crew upon could connect. And, I was thrilled to meet Frank Jasper, who had sailing experience, but no boat, yet! Also, through a chance meeting on the dock at Swantown, I met John Hooper, another experienced sailor, who was brand new to Puget Sound. Reread the first paragraph of this tale. Both were brave enough to join this newly-minted skipper for some time on the water. Did I mention this was in the Pacific Northwest in November? I was on a mission!

King Neptune smiled upon Soundhaven and her merry band of sailors as John, Frank, and I enjoyed two consecutive Saturdays in November with 10-15 knots of wind and lots of practice. Those two days filled me with confidence and new skills. And also the pleasure of making two new friends. A few more trips with Members Joy, Cari Hornbein, Susan Willis, and a couple of tours of duty as crew on Folie a Deux, railmeat, to be more precise, and I was starting to feel like a sailor.

I also motored over to the Island Home Cruise to have a fun time working the breakfast shift. Where I had my first jello shot, yes for breakfast. with a fellow sailor, she-who-shall-not-be-named. I met more friendly sailors by volunteering to greet incoming skippers and crew at the Toliva Shoals dinner. Plenty of opportunities for social engagement in the SSSS!

Fast forward again to a recent day sail with sustained winds of 15-17 with gusts of 22. On this day, Frank was at the helm while John and I managed halyards and sheets. Notice I no longer say “ropes“. Frank’s partner, Ann, also joined us. It was her first sail and she was a trouper! We made a pact as we headed out that we would keep the heeling to a minimum, so that Ann would want to come out with us again. She was still smiling as she left the dock that day, so I think it was a successful experience.

All-in-all, I am so very grateful to the South Sound Sailing Society, South Sound Women’s Sailing Group, the Women’s Boating Seminar leaders, my new sailing companions, and especially Joy and Jeff Johnson for so much encouragement and support as I evolve into a sailor. I have lots and lots to learn, so if you’re looking for a daysail, rain or shine, any season, and you’d like to share your expertise with a still-learning skipper, you’re welcome aboard Soundhaven!

Noreen Light, Soundhaven