When we moved to this little isle in the Salish Sea, we envisioned that our kids would have hours (or days or weeks) of playing on the beach and splashing in the ocean. It's one of the best parts of Bowen, after all. However, between building a house, commuting, driving our kids to activities and dodging torrents of rain, we discovered that beach time has been scarcer than expected. On one of our occasions at Tunstall Bay beach, we noticed some kids having a fantastic time learning to sail in sturdy-looking dinghies. Our daughter Carmen, five years old at the time and a water baby through and through, was captivated. "Please Mommy, please can I go to sailing school?" came the plea. An email from the Bowen Island Yacht Club (BIYC) indicated that she could join when she turned six.
When she attended the program last year, she was hooked. She came home with shining eyes and bursting with pride that she could sail a boat. Spouting sailing terminology, Carmen would tell of a new adventure each day: steering with the tiller, ducking under the boom and tying granny knots (not to mention jumping off the dock). She had a lot of fun and quickly became confident in her abilities while learning some important skills.
A year later, I ask Carmen what she liked about the program. She says, "You come out of there knowing that you can do your best." And the best part? "Sailing to Onion Island for lunch with my new friends." All that and a week of childcare too.
Summer sailing school with BIYC is Bowen at it's best: ocean, fun, community and sun. Now this is why we're here.
For information about BIYC summer sailing programs for children ages six to 15, go to www.biyc.bc.ca. Register at the Bowen Island Community Recreation office at 604-947-2216.
Terri Shea
.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
