Category — Events and Activities

Sailing in Greece

For me, the best part of being at OCSC SAILING is seeing people achieve their goals. It never ceases to amaze me how initial conversations materialize into real-life dreams.  I had yet another opportunity to witness this with OCSC Member Rob Fyfe. Rob stopped by in September of ’09 to inquire about classes and chartering on the Bay. He told me about the fond memories he had of sailing with his family during his childhood and wanted to provide the same for his kids.  He started with Basic Keelboat back in Sept ’09, came out for a class or charter virtually every weekend since,  and recently returned from a charter in the Greek Islands.  Here is his story in his own words…

From my earliest Childhood memories until the age of 12 my family had a 35′ sailboat that we sailed in Georgian Bay (part of lake Huron) in Canada.   Every sailable weekend we would head up to the lake.  I moved from Canada to California when I was 13 and we pretty much stopped sailing.  From 12 until 32 I did very little sailing other than small sunfish sailing.  About 8 years ago my father chartered a 50′ boat from Athens, Greece and we sailed with a group of friends for a week in the Cyclyades.  This reawakened my love of sailing.  Since that trip every other year with the same group we have chartered a boat for a week.. One year in the Gulf Islands in Canada and then again in Greece (but the second time in the Dodecanes. Islands near the Turkish Coast.)  After that last trip (which was 2008) I decided that I would not do another trip without having my family with me.  In Sept 2009 I signed up and paid for a 50′ charter boat (again in the Dodecanes).  The same day I called OCSC and began what became a thorough refresher and completely new level of training, experience, skill and confidence in a subject I had thought I was already comfortable in.  I realized how much more I needed to learn before being confident enough to do the scheduled trip in July 2010.  I completed BK, BC and Finally BBC and Advanced BBC (essential for Med cruising) from Sept 2009 – June 2010.   I was extremely grateful for the skills and confidence I gained through the courses and charters that OCSC enabled.   Being a Captain requires a kind of awareness that can’t fully be understood when you are a crew member.  After all when it comes down to it you are responsible for the safety and comfort of your crew.

Sailing the Greek Islands is one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had, and I hope to continue to go on a regular basis.   The skills required to do so confidently can be learned at OCSC, and I am grateful for that.. I think that anyone going on such a trip should complete the advanced BBC maybe a couple months before the trip and practice that often nerve racking Med Mooring skill 20 – 50 times… I had practiced only 3 times… For the most part I was fine..  3 successful dockings out of 3 .. however, In one harbor (a very busy and difficult one called Simi) it took me about 5 tries before we were settled.. I would rather have practiced this maneuver many more times..  The bay was very deep (thus getting the anchor down took a bunch of time)  the wind was blowing the bow to starboard and the prop walk pushing the stern to port.. The “Mooring Man” blowing his whistle.. and yelling I think in Greek… boats of all sizes everywhere and everyone on deck watching.. a bit stressful… Once parked Simi is like paradise.. so worth the sweating the docking produced.

The family had an amazing time.. favorite parts.. everything.  One thing about the Greek Islands is the food is unbeatable.  We are still talking about the meals we had.  The water was amazing for swimming.  Great nights anchored in quiet bays and others in lively, and beautiful port towns.

Last week we blogged about the BMW Oracle trimaran. We were blown away by how fast and how maneuverable it looked. To follow that up, we just saw this video of Alinghi 5. This America’s Cup is going to be epic!

(c) Martin Sundberg

Celebrate the last Wednesday Night Sail with a Bang!  Book a 4 hour charter for the price of 2 hours and enjoy a great OCSC BBQ!

Normally, the Wednesday Night Sails only run through September due to the amount of sunlight we have to play with. We’ve had so much fun with all of you during the Wednesday Night Sails (WNS) this season that we wanted to extend the WNS’s. We thought we might be able to run them throughout October, but after looking at the sunlight situation again, we decided that extending the season 1 extra week would be the best decision.

So now we’re having a end-of-the-WNS-season Party and BBQ  following the Last WNS on October 7th!

*Important Note* All boats must be back by 7:30pm to avoid low tide. However, that night charterers may book a 4-hour half day charter for the regular WNS rate! This means you can sail from 3:30pm-7:30pm for the price of a WNS!

Feel free to call us with any questions or to reserve your spot for some end-of-the-season FUN!

The Seaward in action.

OCSC’s adopted schooner, SEAWARD, won the Master Mariners Regatta this past Saturday, May 23.  OCSC owners, Rich and Anthony and OCSC member, Jerry Fiddler and family were aboard for the thrilling day on the Bay.  A flawless start and sharp mark roundings and course calls added up to a clean sweep across the broad course that covered most of the Bay.

Congratulations to everyone aboard and the fine organization, Call of the Sea, that does so much for getting young people out on the water and preserving the traditions we all cherish.
-Anthony Sandberg, OCSC President & Founder

Seaward Crew for Master Mariners Race. ©Jerry Fiddler

The Master Mariners Regatta dates back to 1867 when the “Boatmen’s Protective Association made an impressive contribution to the Fourth of July celebration by staging a race between the large coastal schooners and the sailing scows of the San Francisco Bay Area. It was so successful that it was repeated in 1868 and again in 1869. At that time, they reorganized under a new title, Master Mariners Benevolent Association.”  The current form of the race was revived in 1965 and is a great event for the classic wooden boats in the Bay.

See the complete race results here.

Rick Wong & Friends on OCSC's Intro Sail

Ever wonder how long it takes to make friends on a sailboat? Well, it’s definitely less than 2 hours. Rick Wong sent us these photos from his Introduction to Sailing Course last week. The group went out as strangers but came back with new friends. Not only is the Intro to Sailing a great way to be introduced to the sport, it’s also a good way to meet fun, interesting folks.

You can see the rest of the album here. Thanks for the pictures Rick!

40 Sailors aboard the Vessel Seaward

A good time was had by all on OCSC’s Valentine’s Day Sail. With a fairly wet forecast, we were holding our collective breaths, hoping that the weather would cooperate and provide us with favorable sailing conditions. As it turned out, the weather gods were definitely on our side, for by the time we were ready to set sail, the skies had parted and we were left with the perfect afternoon sail.

The group spent the afternoon sailing with their sweethearts and other OCSC friends aboard the Vessel Seaward, a 82’ classic staysail schooner built in 1988 for both comfortable charters in protected waters as well as for rigorous offshore sailing. As the crew sailed their way back to Berkeley, the sun was setting at their backs and another memorable sail was had by all.

Sign Up and Sail is quickly becoming one of the most popular activities at OCSC and it’s easy to see why.  This Sunday Jeff Stokes, Club Manager, arranged 5 different boats for members to sail with new freinds as well as familiar faces.  The morning kicked off with bagels and OJ, followed by a quick presentation on the best way to utilize the Crewlist, then the groups set sail for an action packed day on the water.  Thanks for everyone who came out yesterday and we look forward to seeing you next time.  Click here to learn more about Sign Up and Sail or, as always, feel free to email Jeff (Jeff@OCSC.com).

Dates: February 19-22, 2009.

Place: Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center

www.oceanfilmfest.org

The San Francisco Ocean Film Festival is the largest and most eclectic festival of its kind, featuring dozens of documentary, animated and scripted films from around the world. These include short and feature-length looks at sailing, surfing, kayaking and other saltwater sports, plus views of ocean explorations, activists’ environmental efforts and marine animals in action. [Read more →]