CalActive.com Activities Blog

So sayeth the south africans, ain’t nothing but a monkey’s wedding. That’s when it’s raining but also sunny out. This afternoon the coastal trails were a dream. Brilliant sun cutting through the canyon while rain was drizzling down. It’s such a unique weather set that it inspired in me a sense of time. I’m not sure I remember the last time I was out enjoying a sunny rain. Was it a soccer game I played as a squirt? Can’t be sure how accurate that memory is, though I remember the smell of the grass. Suppose it’s good I’m makin new ones then. I guess some things only happen every once in a blue moon.

So my boyfriend Josh is learning to sail with a friend of his, and they started off on a Lido 14, otherwise known as a bathtub. Some of his trips have been calm and easy, but others not so much. Needless to say I wanted to wait until he really got the hang of it before I joined him for my first time sailing.

It was a fairly calm and absolutely beautiful Sunday afternoon, and Josh had already been out on the water with his friend for a couple of hours. I met them at the Balboa Yacht Club around 1pm and we were off. I was slightly nervous for a couple of reasons - the boat was tiny, and there were about 30 sailboats quadruple the size of ours racing from Newport Harbor. We were basically dodging these 50 ft boats as we made our way out of the bay and onto the high seas. Being the complete wimp that I am, I suggested that we go out just far enough to see the seals on the buoy, basking in the sun.

Some parts were rough, but most calm. At one point I thought the boat was going to flip because the wind got so strong. It was a great experience though, and I learned a lot about sailing. Although I was a bit nervous at first, I had an absolute blast and can’t wait to do it again. The best advice I can give to a first-time sailor - Watch out for that boom!