Sailing School In Jersey City!
This past week I was fortunate to check something off my bucket list. I finally tried an activity that I have wanted to learn for my whole life'I learned to sail. Now this activity is not cheap BUT it can get you into circles of people who have real money. Maybe they have money they are willing to part with? It can also be très impressive.
Anyway, I signed up for a two and-a-half day course at the award winning True North Sailing School out of Newport New Jersey.
If you don’t know where Newport is, think: Jersey City. The marina sports some Beyonce-sized yachts that are fun to longingly look at even if you aren’t on one of them. What I mean by that is, there are yachts there that are large. Maybe the size Beyonce would ride on '“ not that they are the size of her'or her parts. In any event, they are grand.
The beginning sailing class starts with a Tuesday evening class where you learn the basics. The first day is not unlike traveling to a foreign country where everyone is speaking a different language and you are scrambling to keep up. For three days you are immersed in this alien vocabulary.
Here are some of the more hilarious phrases:
'˜Trim the jib’
Sounds like a culinary phrase to me.
The '˜luff’
I can’t imagine where this word came from.
Connected to
'˜luffing’
A mixture of laughing and muffin?
'˜Jibe ho!’
I couldn’t stop saying '˜Jai ho’ '“ a la slumdog millionaire.
'˜Helms-a-lee’
One other student helped me remember it by saying it sounded like '˜Leona Helmsley.’ I never forgot it again'I wonder if she liked to sail?
I did ask my skipper what '˜yar’ meant. He didn’t know and acted like I was crazy for asking. I thought it was a nautical term. Here is the definition if it has been eating at you like it has been eating at me:
1. quick; agile; lively.
2. (of a ship) quick to the helm; easily handled or maneuvered.
So' the student becomes the teacher? Take that Skipper Steve!
My next step is that I would like to parlay my new sailing knowledge into a paying gig. I am considering becoming a pirate. I will let you know how it goes'Arrrrr!
True North Sailing School
500 Washington Boulevard
Jersey City, NJ
