Craft of Sail – MISTY

This is a five-day course ending Friday

Other Sessions: July 14-20

Craft Of Sail is for folks who have some previous sailing experience, whether it comes from a seamanship program or personal involvement with boats. The course is designed for those who want to improve their skills on the water, particularly in the context of a cruising-sized vessel. Subjects include sail theory, hull and rig balance, helmsmanship, piloting in clear weather and fog, approaching and leaving floats and moorings, knots and rigging, man-overboard strategy, handling ground tackle, crew management; and, with those of our vessels that have power plants, maneuvering under power, and the rudiments of auxiliary engines and navigation instruments.

The seaman aspires to the mastery of many subjects, but the essence of the craft of sail is sea sense: the ability to tune in to a boat, the weather, and the crew, and apply good judgment so that all work together. Our instructors understand this, and they will help you to acquire that sense by sharing their own experiences and by encouraging you to think and feel a boat through various real and “what if” situations. With a maximum of five students, there is plenty of opportunity to ask questions and try tricks at the helm. There are numerous sailing schools out there, but few offer experience in cruising/charter-sized vessels like these—and none that we know of offer instruction by such experienced sailors on such lovely yachts.

MISTY is one of the famed 39’ Concordia yawls built at Abeking and Rasmussen in Germany for the Concordia Co. of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Designed by Ray Hunt and Waldo Howland in 1939, they served as family cruisers and successful blue water racers and are known for their intricate construction details, beautiful proportions, and grace on the water. MISTY spent 45 of her 52 years on the Great Lakes in the care of one loving family who raced her successfully. She’s received excellent care over the years, and has never needed a major rebuild. Her layout and details are original. Her yawl rig provides many strings to pull to adjust her sails to perfection. MISTY is easy to sail in nearly all conditions because no sail is too large to handle.