5 Lessons from Sailing on the York

Having not sailed since he was 14, Scott Lints took his wife and four children sailing on the York River and did quite well, thank you. Here are the lessons learned.

1.     Always steer directly into the wind to raise the sails, less pressure.

2.    In rising winds, start with the main and later the genoa.

3.    Spill wind by either pinching into it or turning to beam reach.

4.    Look for whitecaps to realize the wind is rising 1o 10 mph.

5.    Reef the genoa or the main to reduce heeling and helm.

Scott and Leandra are teachers in Flint, Michigan, where the water situation is still dire. I asked him about home property values.

“They’re pretty bad. A friend of mine got a job elsewhere and went to the bank to find out what he could do since he was obviously under water. They told him to leave town and take the new job and not to worry about the house. They forgave him the difference so he could walk away.”

That’s the first recorded evidence of a bank showing compassion.