Learning to sail on Powell Lake

Posted by Margy Lutz on Jun 28, 2016

This post originally appeared on the Powell River Books blog.

My husband Wayne has caught the sailing bug. His first cure was a remote controlled model called Nirvana II. He successfully sailed it all the way across Hole in the Wall from our float cabin home on Powell Lake. Instead of being a cure for the sailing bug, it increased his fever.

The next attempted cure was a Laser sailboat. In Border Songs by Jim Lynch, a character uses a Laser to run contraband across Boundary Bay to Blaine, Washington. Wayne was intrigued and spent hours searching Craigslist for one of his own.

Once it was transported up the lake, it was time for Wayne to learn to sail. The Laser is fun, but the drawbacks are it’s a one-person boat and because it’s designed for racing, it isn’t the best model for leisurely excursions. Rather than curing Wayne’s sailing bug, the Laser inflamed his desire. After two summers with the Laser, it was back to Craigslist to find a sailboat we could use together.

Wayne is more adventurous than I am, so we narrowed our search to daysailers with the stability of a fixed keel. Just when we were about to give up, we found the perfect model, a 19-foot O’Day Mariner.

Now you’ll find us sailing the waters around our float cabin home on Powell Lake. So far our longest sail has been to the Shinglemill Marina and back. Wayne likes those brisk breezes, but I’m happy with the gentle steady ones.

Are you flirting with the sailing bug? You can try it out for yourself here in Powell River. The Powell River Yacht Club is sponsoring sailing lessons for kids, youth and adults again this summer.

For more information you can read about the Learn to Sail program at their website. Registration is open by age group: 8-10, 11-16 and 16-adult. Classes are in July and August, so don’t wait too long. Seats are limited. We learned, the only cure for the sailing bug is a good day out on the water.

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Margy Lutz

Margy Lutz and her husband Wayne discovered Powell River during an airplane camping trip in 2000. They purchased a float cabin on Powell Lake that has become their home since retiring from careers in education in Southern California. In 2008, they became Canadian permanent residents and now live here full time. Margy continues to work as a grant writer and Wayne is the author of the Coastal BC Stories series and science fiction.

Latest posts by Margy Lutz (see all)

• Learn a little bit about the logging industry in Powell River - November 18, 2016
• Quadding on “The Rock” - July 19, 2016
• Learning to sail on Powell Lake - June 28, 2016

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