Making the leap to sailing.
Suzanne Carter had spent a lifetime on the water, powerboating, waterskiing, kayaking, SUPing, but never sailing. Friends had encouraged her to take sailing classes with them, but she always responded, “Sailing is so expensive!” Finally, someone answered, “Sailing doesn’t have to be expensive. Do you know about the Downtown Sailing Center (DSC) in Baltimore?” There Suzanne found her passion. Here she shares her sailing journey in her own words.
Sailing? How hard can it be?
When I went to the DSC open house in the spring of 2014, I was 46 and about to discover my passion.
I had spent lots of time on the water, so I imagined that learning to sail wouldn’t be too challenging for me. Despite my age, as an accomplished athlete (I was a competitive figure skater), I was sure I’d have this sailing thing in no time.
Little did I know that learning to sail would include understanding wind awareness, points of sail, how to rig a boat, sails—what they do and how to trim them, vocabulary, weather and wind reports, functional clothing choices, and tiller paralysis (OMG! We're all gonna die if I drive this thing!). And that was just on little boats under 25 feet without electronics and systems.
However, the large learning curve might have been part of what drew me to the sport. Every time I stepped off a boat I had learned something… and had more to learn and research. My personal motto became, “Every time I leave a boat, I should have learned something.”
An all-women sailing course changed my sailing trajectory.
After attending the DSC open house, I immediately began to attend DSC member sails on the club’s Sonars and J/22s. While those were enjoyable and a great place to start, I needed a more formal, structured learning environment. At the Maryland School of Sailingand Seamanship I took an all-women’s 101 class, and that completely changed the trajectory of my sailing. I had no idea how different being on an all-women’s crew was and having this experience early on would change how I viewed sailing crews and how sailors interact with one another.
Racing to gain skills.
I returned to the DSC and was asked to join a J/22 race team in their one-design fleet. I was anxious, as I had heard and seen the screaming on race teams, and screaming on boats brought up PTSD of childhood boating with my father who was career USCG and a screamer. But I had also heard that the fastest way to learn to sail well was to race. So, I joined the team (which did not scream) and asked one of the team members to mentor me to achieve my skipper’s certification at the club.
I began to race at other clubs, on larger boats. Early on I was a little terrified and lost in all the tactics, horns, guns, and start and finish lines. As I kept showing up, my skills improved, and I began to love racing more and more. The competition can be exhilarating.
Cruising, chartering, deliveries, and boat ownership.
I gained more skills with additional classes and certifications. My partner, Kenny, and I joined SailTime on an Oceanis 35.1 in Annapolis to experience cruising the Chesapeake. We’ve chartered boats in the Bahamas, the BVI, Galway to the Aran Islands, and in Monterey Bay, and I’ve started crewing on deliveries. I completed American Sailing’s 101-105 courses and Safety at Sea at the US Naval Academy. I also attended a National Women's Sailing Association Race Conference and various sailing club classes focused on weather, race tactics, boat maintenance, and systems failures and fixes.
Recently I became a part owner of a small race boat, a Goman Express 30M, Diet Sprite. It’s nothing fancy; in fact, it’s quite ‘rustic’ to include a bucket and some kitty litter, but she’s a fun racer. She is kept in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
What is next?
This year I plan on making some deliveries, Tuesday night racing with Baltimore City Yacht Association, Wednesday night racing with Herrington Harbour Sailing Association (HHSA), some weekend regattas, and a couple of weekend cruises throughout the summer… and whatever interesting, fun opportunities present themselves.
This month I am registered for the HHSA’s Women’s Regatta, a must for any woman sailor, whether she considers herself a racer or not.
Advice for would-be sailors.
Let me take you out to try it! If you like it, I suggest a structured sailing program such as one of the American Sailing or US Sailing classes. A weather class will always be helpful, and once you find your interest niche, perhaps take a class or two to firm up some knowledge and skills. Don’t be shy about asking for help, advice, guidance, or mentorship. Take a trip to the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October; it’s an excellent resource-gathering spot.
Women will likely encounter a good deal of ‘mansplaining’ and sexism. Importantly, these experiences have made me more sensitive to other sailors that are not from the Old Guard of sailing. Dealing with it head on helps me cope, and getting women on boats has become part of my passion for sailing.
Finally, get out there and sail! It’s going to be the greatest adventure of your life.
