Posts from — March 2009

Gar and Nicole, World Cruisers, aboard the S/V DreamKeeper © Nicole Duke

Gar and Nicole are currently exploring the islands of Palau in Micronesia. The couple took classes at OCSC Sailing in preparation for their big adventure. They are now into their 3rd year of cruising aboard their beloved S/V DreamKeeper, and were nice enough to answer a few questions for us.

Be sure to also follow along on their adventures by reading their own blog and looking at the wonderful photos they post on their site. Here is the link to the S/V Dreamkeeper site with the “where are they” tracker: http://www.svdreamkeeper.com And here is their blog: http://svdreamkeeper.blogspot.com/ Without further ado… Part 1 of our three part interview with Gar & Nicole:

(OCSC) Do you remember how you first found out about OCSC?
(Gar): First we read everything we could on-line regarding the different sailing schools in the Bay and then looked at brochures and courses. OCSC consistently had great reviews. Then we saw you guys at the Green Festival. That pretty much decided for us.

(OCSC) Was this adventure you’re on now your motivation for seeking out lessons?
(Gar): Definitely. One day we sat down and looked at our lives together. What did we want to create for ourselves? What goals did we have together for the next 5 years? 10 years? [Read more →]

Tom Judt, OCSC Member, Volunteers for Rebuilding Together Oakland

OCSC Sailing is happy to support it’s long time club member Tom Judt who will share his experiences of volunteering with Rebuilding Together Oakland (formerly Christmas in April);  and invites OCSC members to join him this year by volunteering in support of this great cause.

Presentation: Thursday April 9th, 7:00-8:00pm at OCSC
Volunteer Weekend days: April 18th & 19th [Read more →]

The 2009 OCSC BVI Flotilla Group

Welcome back to all the sailors on OCSC’s British Virgin Islands Flotilla! Judging by your pictures, it seems like you all had a great time.  So far, we’ve heard stories of good weather, good friends, good food, and great sailing. The pictures tell the story… [Read more →]

Learn how to generate “Buzz” around your product or service from the experts that have landed OCSC publicity in National Geographic, LAN Magazine, The Wall St. Journal, and the New York Times. Many businesses are struggling to attract customers with reduced marketing dollars. Even companies that have kept their marketing budgets intact are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their sales objectives since consumers are buying less and not responding to traditional advertising. [Read more →]

Poles for Mobility - Free Clinics

OCSC members and friends are going to Macchu Picchu twice this year.  This adventure in Peru involves a moderate amount of physical endurance and high altitude hiking.  To prepare for the trips, OCSC regularly has hikes around Mount Tamalpais or other Bay Area locations.  Whether your going on the Machu Picchu Adventure or just hiking around the Berkeley hills, there are some tips and strategies that may help you.  Jayah Faye Paley, the author of the Award-Winning DVD’s “POLES for Hiking, Trekking & Walking” and “POLES for Balance & Mobility” will be conducting seminars on hiking and using poles to increase comfort and endurance. She will bring top quality poles so participants will have a chance to practice techniques and experience the benefits of an “extra pair of legs”. This interactive clinic is for everyone - hikers, trekkers, walkers and people with balance issues.Techniques developed by Paley show how to avoid hand strain and convert effort into an upper body/core workout. Come learn about the equipment, how to adjust poles correctly and efficiently, prevent common mistakes, and how to achieve optimum benefit from hiking poles. [Read more →]

The Clubhouse at the Lake Eyre Yacht Club

They sail on pink oil, they fly from every corner of the world for the opportunity, they sail only catamarans, and they’re delighted if they only get a sail every couple of years.

According to a recent article in Sail World, the Lake Eyre Yacht Club is the strangest in the world. They have around 50 paying members from all over the world, sometimes go years without workable sailing conditions, and can attract up to 100 boats for a regatta. [Read more →]

Stan Starkey, OCSC Instructor, aboard Camelot

Stan Starkey, OCSC Instructor, has been on the OCSC team since 1989. Stan is currently living his dream of traveling and sailing all around the world. His latest adventures have taken him to Costa Rica and beyond. Here is the excerpt from the update he just sent us.

On New Years Eve Mary and I headed to Costa Rica for a little sailing with Neil and Jackie aboard Camelot. We also did some inland travel in the mountains and ziplining through the rain forest. After a short three weeks Mary returning to California to help Arnold spend the states money wisely and I returned to Camelot for more sailing adventures. [Read more →]

Join us at OCSC on Tuesday, August 11th  at 7pm for a special encore presentation of Matt Weinstein’s “Why Bernie Madoff Couldn’t Steal From Me“.  Matt Weinstein is the nation’s foremost authority on the use of fun and humor in team building. Matt is the founder and “Emperor” of Playfair, Inc. an international consulting firm based in Berkeley, California. He was elected to the Professional Speaker’s Hall of Fame by the National Speaker’s Association, and was honored by Successful Meetings Magazine as one of the “21 Top Speakers for the 21st Century.”

Matt Weinstein is is the founder and “Emperor” of Playfair, Inc.

Award-winning inspirational speaker Matt Weinstein was on an OCSC trip to Antarctica when he learned via satellite telephone that he had lost his entire life savings in the Bernie Madoff scandal. In this highly personal, interactive and entertaining program, Weinstein recounts the inside story of the highly-secretive Madoff fund.

“But there is something else I discovered that is much more important,” says Weinstein— “how to survive life’s inevitable downturns with a sense of Basic Trust, so that you can land on your feet no matter what.  These are difficult economic times for everyone, but the great news is that it is possible to find joy, celebration and a sense of meaning even here, even now.”

As the Epictetus the Stoic philosopher pointed out nearly 2,000 years ago, it isn’t what happens to you that changes your life— it’s how you react to it that counts.

*There will be a documentary film crew filming this presentation, and all audience members will be asked to sign a release form so you can appear in the film. You don’t need to do anything but be yourself…. and laugh at Matt’s jokes! The director and producer will be attending and happy to answer any questions you may have before and after the presentation.

Maria Judge signs a copy of A Cup of Comfort

Maria Judge is a writer, story teller, educator, cancer survivor and long-time friend of Rich Jepsen, CEO of OCSC.  She will be speaking and signing books at the club on Sunday, March 15th at 4pm.  Her story I Went and Washed That Hair Right Offa my Head is included in the new collection A Cup of Comfort for Breast Cancer Survivors; Inspiring Stories of Courage and Triumph. [Read more →]

A computer rendering of what the Plastiki will look like

We have been following the voyage of the Plastiki since we first learned of their trip in this National Geographic Article.  The premise of the Plastiki is to build a boat out of recycled plastic bottles and sail it across the ocean to bring attention to the incredible amount of waste that is accumulating in the worlds oceans.  We have stopped by Pier 31 every few weeks to check on the progress of the fateful ship.  In the beginning, it was very difficult to see how they would make it all come together. [Read more →]