Sailing can interest some youths

[Norm L.]

This is Finn. I've known him for about 5 years, but it was only Sunday when his mother told me he loves sailing. Finn has been taking lessons and sailing every Friday for two years. His favorite part of sailing is tacking. Which I thought was interesting as most of us like long legs in nice weather and don't want to bother with sails and sheets.

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Finn is now 17 and is on the Special Olympics Team. He is Autistic and does function well with guidance. The program he is in is perfect for him as the volunteer instructors are patient and are good working with many people of many ages and diverse disabilities. Several of the boats are set up for people with varied immobility problems, including a small crane on the dock to move students/sailors from wheelchairs to the boat cockpits.

I'll see Finn Thursday as the Camp Able group of kids from around 8 to 25 will be at a large Pumpkin Patch and do Fall and Halloween artwork to sell as a fund raiser that supports their monthly outing.

[Captain Kidd]

Pretty cool!

I have 2 autistic grandsons (6 and one turning 12 in two days). It's so prevalent today. Their mom is the runner/sailor. My wife kept them and their middle sister while we sailed the other week. My older daughter (not the  runner/sailor) is a special ed teacher. She loves her students but it can be trying.

[Brian N.]

Excellent that the young man has taken an interest in sailing. I was a teacher for 39 years and it was always gratifying when I could connect with students, especially those who were on the autism spectrum.

[Norm L.]

Working around this group has been a joy when, as you said, you see progress. One girl did not speak until she was six. Being around this group and being taken into a social life got her to start to speak. Slowly and with one word, we were overjoyed. I have a photo that was taken of the two of us when I bought a piece of her artwork. 

[Frank B.]

That is fantastic.  My Grandson is a graduate of Hill Top Academy, a school for kids on the spectrum.  The greatest thing about the school is the way the kids bonded and helped each other regardless of their position on the continuum. He is a straight A sophomore at Villanova now, more normal than most "normal" people I know due to a terrific amount of insight about the human condition.

Wish I had Finn as crew. Gotten so old and lazy that faced with a beat back to the marina, the first thought is crank up the iron jenny.

[Captain Kidd]

Just got this message a few minutes ago from my daughter, the teacher:

"In the autism room today. And aftercare. And on perimeter lockdown. It's a great day. 2 meltdowns. 2 poop diapers. 1 shoe thrown across the room. Many buttcracks have been seen. Almost got peed in the face. Bless the people that are in here every day."

Of course, the spectrum is VERY broad; but it obviously can be very challenging.

And as a sidenote: there may be more than one reason my other daughter (parent to two autistic boys) has taken up running.

Another sidenote: you might be interested in seeing the movie "Temple Grandin". "Sonrise: A Miracle of Love" is also good.

[Noemi - Ensenada 20]

I have followed Temple Grandin's story for a long time.  She's very interesting.

[Norm L.]

Yes, Frank. The social life makes a difference. Kids seem to be more comfortable and more open to learning and acting in activities. The three days of summer camp are fun, have large groups, and at least one-on-one attention.
The smaller monthly meeting this Thursday at the Pumpkin Patch will be interesting. I've already seen a few of the costume previews!

[rfrance0718]

 Near and dear to me Norm. Retired Special Needs teacher and current sailing coach. We get a fair number of kids with needs. It's great to have them and wonderful to see our kids providing most of the support. Helping other kids is cool these days, especially amongst kids who have the intellect that sailing attracts.

[Krusen]

I have a regional Special Olympics Silver.  That was a fluke, my two guys were both on their best function the day of the 3 race eliminations.

The race committee cheated us, we finished 1, 2, 1, they scored us 1, 2, 2.  My crew was thrilled with any medal, I quietly asked how we lost that final race?

You have done an amazing job with your crew, but they are extremely erratic, finishing anywhere from the top 3 to the last 3.  The Gold today went to the team with the best overall season performance, they have the best chance of wining at the Nationals.  I AGREED WITH THEM, and am proud that we did get the regional silver.

A week later, I was asked to take the Gold team to the Nationals, as their skipper had a conflict.  The committee felt that I had brought a bottom team to the top, and could do fine with a team that I did not know.

Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, I passed on that opportunity.  I learned to race on a Lightning, bought one for my first boat, and knew them intimately.  The Nationals were with small keel boats, unlike any I had ever sailed.  I had never met the Gold crew, and had no idea of what their "signals" were if they were going off normal.  My "Boat Mom" delivered graham crackers or water as soon as I signaled a mood change was developing.  I did not even know what the other skipper said to have his crew adjust in or out on the sheets.

I had been recruited mid season to replace a skipper who had moved, and learned after the last race that I had taken up one of the last place teams, and should be proud of my success.  I say again, the committee made the right choice, and I am doubly proud to have won that Silver Medal!  I do not think my crew understood there was a difference in the importance of the color of the medals .

A little bit strangely, the Boat Moms did not get medals.  Possibly all the boats were like mine, I had a different Mom every week.  None of the Moms were parents of the kids.  Only one of mine knew how to sail !  Before departing the pier, the Mom had a briefing on where they were to go as soon as I called "Ready about", so they were not in the way of the tiller.  Similarly, "Jibe O" which I rarely did except in the lightest air.

Norman

Cruising, racing, or just messing around, it is all fun.

[Krusen]

A little addition on my crew and the local program.  I do not remember their names, so they are Port and Starboard  As mentioned earlier, I was a mid season replacement, knew nothing of the program, and it was a 2 plus hour round trip from where I lived, bad traffic days, 3 hours plus.  My two guys were both on meds, type unknown to me.  They were early teens, active, and strong.  Port side was more volatile, and the strongest, proved several times.  Starboard was more steady, and had more "signals", so we usually kept him smooth.

They shared trimming the jib sheets, and never changed sides, as any change disturbed them.  Before I had time to learn their "signals", we had a fight, with both trimming as hard as they could.  My only Mom who was a sailor, and a very competent racer, was a mid 20's single but did well at being a Mom.  Fortunately, by then I could call for graham crackers or water in time to avoid most outbreaks, so she did not need to be the one guessing.  The other Moms were very good at watching for mood changes, and educated me.  In addition to crackers and water, we had a first aid kit, and used a band aid or two.

When port was eating crackers, and I tacked, I would tap starboard on the shoulder, point at the port sheet, and say "trim", and we would be fine, unless port noticed.......

I believe that on the 'Gold' boat, one crew member trimmed jib, the other trimmed main sail, and they had no 'events' while sailing. His boys were older than mine, with several years sailing.  As the top skipper the previous year, he had first pick of crew, and he knew all the guys.  Working year after year should give you perks, and I agree with the way the group functioned.

The logistics of that program were daunting, a dozen boats, a dozen skippers, a dozen Moms, 2 dozen guys, 3 or 4 launch assistants (all the boats were on trailers and crane launched), the food committee (women) the life jacket committee (men).  The total milling around at the start of the evening was about 60 people.  Most of the shore crew were not parents.  My starboard dad was on the life jacket committee, and stayed and cheered the whole time, but I did not meet his mom.

The victory picture was myself, starboard's dad, and the two jubilant guys.  As I said previously, they seemed oblivious to the color, the medal was the biggest thing, period.




That actual 3rd race, the ultimate Gold team led us all the race, to the last turn.  They were a good boat length ahead, down wind run, wind over the starboard side.  At the last buoy, they passed it, turned 270 degrees, and close reach to the finish.

Silver skipper called "Jibe O, duck all", and put the helm over, pulled the  main sheet rapidly, released it as the wind crossed the stern, and called for starboard to trim jib.  As we came on heading for the finish line, I had the main in, and we were a full boat length ahead of Gold.  Another 5 knots of wind, I would not have chanced a jibe.

Bottom line, the Silver crew did not get to the finish line first for that race, the skipper did.  If we had made the safe turn, we would have continued to be a boat length behind the faster team.

After every race evening, there were refreshments, but the final evening was a real blowout, hot dogs, sandwiches, chips and dips, everything but sugar.

That was also when I found that starboard's dad brought port with him, explaining why I never met his parents.
Many parents came alone, dropped the kid, and went grocery shopping without the problems of a demanding kid asking for all he saw and liked.  One way or another 3 hours of peace and quiet, or, quality time with the siblings.

It took me almost an hour to uncover the borrowed racing Lightning, attach and raise the sails, find help to drag the trailer to the cranes, return the trailer to the parking place, change the arrangement of the sheets from race to simple, brief my Mom, and get the crew settled on board.

After the races, returning the boat to its racing trim, dry out the bilge, cover it, and properly parking it, snack time was over, I would grab a soft drink, and head for home.

Happily, the actual owner of "My Boat" was considerate of any things I left wrong when I packed up and covered his boat, I never had a complaint, but I know that the first few races I did not get it right.

An hour drive in heavy traffic,
an hour prep,
3 hours racing,
an hour cleaning and putting away the boat,
an hour driving home.

A long day for an 80 year old sailor.  Very satisfying challenge, but with only borrowed boats for the non owners, and last choice for crew, more work than I wished to do.

1 With a crew who could do both sails, or one sail plus steer, would have been great.

2 Sailing a non racing Lightning would have been a blessing.

3 Starting at the beginning of the season, and learning my crew better would have been a bonus.

Signing up for the next season would have brought only the last of those 3, and Washington DC rush hour traffic only gets worse.  I usually left home at least 2 hours before race time, to assure that I was there in time.  Home around 10.

Honestly, an activity for younger men.... and women.  I am certain that I was the oldest skipper, probably the only one retired.

In hind sight, succeeding in that environment at all was a surprising accomplishment for 80 years old.

If Captain Kidd reads this far, that was a couple of years before our cruise.

Krusen in my memories.

[Norm L.]

What a great string this has been.
Norm, I have not had as much up-close single hand as you had. I've always been a part of the group. I certainly have seen parents all in and parents who have trouble with this life. The former are the ones who are an incentive for me to be a part of the programs with this group.

The meeting at the Pumpkin Patch was fun as they painted pumpkins. Mostly!  They also had greeting cards for sale. five, in a package. The kid's artwork was amazing, and each were commercially printed for the cards. One of them, Jared, sells his artwork. Both his painting and sculptures are humans and animals as he sees them. Some can be a bit bizarre, but no more that some things I've seen in museums.
Before COVID shut things down he was an artist at a big company that builds Mardi Gras floats. I also commissioned him to paint me a large Mardi Gras panel on plywood that I could mount on the front of our house during that season. 

[Krusen]

Pulling up old memories, I believe that Starboard's Dad, had a short opportunity to talk with me near the end of the season.  What he told me about Port was limited, as it was very personal

He had a single Mom, and at least one sibling, number unknown to me.  Participating was not really an option for her.  This realization made me more patient with Port, but he was just on the edge most of the time.  My sympathy for his Mom and siblings was huge, but that was something that did not reach them.

I did not ever meet Starboard's Mom, but his Dad was very dedicated to caring  for both boys.  If Port had a blowup on land, he would just hug him real tight and pat his back until he settled down.  My boat Mom's sometimes did the same, which could be difficult, as they were at the stern, and had to climb past me, and cross the center board trunk.  Things would have worked better if I had steered left handed, sat on the starboard side, and placed the Mom on the same side as Port.  Isn't hind sight great?

Teaching them to actually constructively trim sails was mostly a failure.  Just letting out until the jib fluttered, then tighten till it topped rarely happened without a call from the skipper, their focus was on the other sailboats, and whether we were gaining, and even more exciting, when crossing tacks, would we collide?  They were always disappointed when we did not, they would have loved bumper cars!

Commands had to be explicit, and the same every time, or the outcome was unpredictable.  It took a few weeks to figure that out.  Smooth tacks, 4 or 5 in sequence caused a warm feeling of pride, and happened more often as the weeks went by.  Bombing to the bottom of the fleet decreased too.  They did try to please me when not having a fit.  Learning the symptoms of inner stress made the most difference in their happiness and performance.

I really have good memories of that summer with those guys. The Moms were behind me, and were only in my perception when we had a problem, but they were a major part of our successes. 

Who knows, in a couple of years, they may have gotten the feel of trimming sail, and achieved one as main, the other as jib!

Musing on the past is supposed to be good for older folks.  It certainly feels good right now.

Krusen, sailing in a fuzzy place, long past.    

[Captain Kidd]

If Captain Kidd reads this far, that was a couple of years before our cruise.

Krusen in my memories.

Read it all! I'm impressed and full of admiration! A tough job for a young person handled very well by a "seasoned" one!