Practice Sails
After completing your Level 1 class, you may take as many practice sails as you like. these sails are fun and and allow you to hone your skills before taking Level 1 rating tests. These practice sails are always conducted with a rated ASI sailor aboard who will help you safely sharpen your skills.
The skippers for practice sails are all experienced sailors who volunteer their time and talents so new students can become proficient sailors. Many of these skippers are also instructors.
The number of practice sails is unlimited for the season. However, students who are not rated within 24 months of their class must re-enroll in the classes.
At Stony Creek, when pulling a boat out, make sure no lines are tied or fouled with the dock. Otherwise you might find the boat on the ramp after you pull the trailer out of the water.
Mentoring Program
To arrange a practice sail, please refer to the list of volunteers that have committed themselves to mentor an unrated student to achieve his/her goals. This list is posted on the ASI website, or contact our ASI Mentor Director John Tiley.
Stony Creek has organized practice sails, called Tradewinds Tuesdays and Thursdays. Look for the announcement posted on the ASI website. With the Mentoring program in place and the Kent Lake and Stony Creek open sail dates, unrated members will be able to polish their skills and become rated in no time.
Sailing at Stony Creek first requires getting the boat into the water, since there are no permanent slips, as at Kensington. The boats are kept in the boat yard on trailers. Consequently, you must have a trailer hitch or make arrangements with your crew for one.
The boats must be towed a short distance to the ramps for launching. It does take a bit more work before you are sailing, but more work doesn’t necessarily mean more time. You don’t have to open dock boxes for things like life vests and sails, because they are kept with the boat. Bailing the boats after rainy days is seldom necessary as it is at Kensington. Another advantage to sailing at Stony Creek is that the hulls are cleaner and do not accumulate algae as at Kensington where the boats are continuously in the water.
Launching at Stony Creek
The detailed procedure for launching the boats at Stony Creek is covered in the Level 1 sailing classes. And here is a preview in the video below:
