HERIZEN™ SAILING FOR WOMEN

"SAILING IN AWARENESS" NEWS - JUNE 2005

WHAT'S IN THIS ISSUE?

British Virgin Islands Adventure Sailing

Gulf Islands Sailing

Sailing Ads & Announcements

Boating in Awareness Safety Tips

What's new at HERIZEN™?

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS ADVENTURE SAILING

Our March 2005 winter sailing adventure in the British Virgin Islands was a grand success. We had so much fun, with beautiful sunshine, excited clients and great sailing weather. This year we offered ladies and couples programs. Through the 'HERIZEN™ Method' couples were introduced to 'inner sailing' where awareness of body, mind and spirit, together with respect, appreciation and understanding of the difference between men and women's ways of learning, thinking, communicating and doing, promoted giant leaps in their sailing and personal relationships.

Great News! We are off to BVI in 2006 for more sailing, snorkeling, dancing and having fun aboard the 42 foot Hunter - Zen II.

We have ladies and couples programs scheduled for January and February 2006. For a limited time and as a gift to you we are offering a special discounted price. If you book early you will receive a $300.00 USD discount per person.

Offer good until July 15, 2005.

Go to BVI Adventures - Booking Now for details.

GULF ISLANDS SAILING

2005 'Sailing in Awareness Retreats" in the Gulf Islands are Booking NOW!

Only 4 spaces remain this summer season. 2 spots open in August and 2 spots open in September. check the schedule here.

This year we introduced Intermediate sailing programs to include day sailing combined with accommodation at the Protection Island B&B along with 3 days of cruising through the Gulf Islands. Clients are able to expand upon their sailing skills such as current passages, docking, anchoring, passage planning and navigational skills. Most of all FUN! So far this year we have a number of HERIZEN™ grads come back for a second year. It sure has been a pleasure supporting you all!

SAILING ANNOUNCEMENTS

The Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race is action packed and is happening now! Get on line to follow the boats as they circumnavigate Vancouver Island. One of the boats recently had an accidental gybe and two men went overboard. Check the video clip on line.

Are you interested in racing in the Van Isle 360 with an all women's crew in June 2007? Write to us.

NEW SAILING CO-OP ON VANCOUVER ISLAND

The Van Isle Sailing Co-op is a non-profit organization dedicated to the sport of sailing, the cooperative ownership of boats, and showing people how to sail. Annual dues maintain the boats and pay for moorage and insurance. You get to sail with experienced sailors and at work parties you learn to maintain boats. Boats and meetings are held in Nanaimo, BC. Great way to meet new people and go sailing.

If you live on Vancouver Island and want to go sailing - check out the Van Isle Sailing Co-op

BOATING IN AWARENESS SAFETY TIPS

PERSON OVER BOARD!

As the summer season commences there are many men and women sailing together - just as a couple or families with their children. Or possibly you are a female sailor wanting to get some experience and are now crew on a racing boat at your local yacht or sailing club.

 DO YOU HAVE A PERSON OVERBOARD PLAN AND DO YOU PRACTICE IT?

Besides confidence at the helm, person overboard procedures and how to get a person back into the boat is a popular skill that women want to learn and become proficient at. Many women have a great deal of fear around this...especially if they are sailing with a partner that does everything on the boat and she just does what she is told. Hmmm. what happens if he goes overboard? At any time, you or someone you know or love could go overboard! Then what?

Ann Wilson from Vancouver, BC is a HERIZEN™ grad. She took her sailing retreat in the Gulf Islands in July 2004. Ann is very enthusiastic and holds the vision that one day she will own her own sail boat. After her course, she decided she wanted to crew on a local race boat to utilize what she learned and to get more sailing experience.  By January of this year she finally landed her self a crew position. Ann had not been sailing since her course in July and was feeling nervous, however, she did have as strong desire to learn and was confident that what she had learned with HERIZEN™ would come through when needed. Upon arrival at the boat Ann noted that she was the only women aboard. All of the men knew the boat well and had sailed together many times. She asked the skipper if she could do a check check...a thorough check on the boat and its safety equipment. The skipper just laughed and said if you want to go sailing...just get on board and get ready to go. Thinking she was the rookie, had been waiting such a long time to get a crewing position and the skipper and crew had sailed the boat together many times, Ann decided to follow the skippers advice and forfeit the check check. The first experience was exhilarating, fun and she learned a great deal. On the second trip there was a different crew, mixed with men and women. Only two had actually sailed together before. This time the weather conditions were more extreme, colder, increased wind speeds and even some snow. On a downwind leg, the crew tried to put up the spinnaker....with a new crew, not being very familiar with each other or even experienced, a line got wrapped around the head stay. While a male crew member tried to get the line unwrapped he was pitched overboard. Without a practiced plan and no one knowing where the emergency equipment was...it took some time to get the crew member in the water back into the boat. To make matters worse, the buoyant heaving line that was attached to the life ring was attached to the boat. It went over and the crew man got to it.  Since the line was attached to the boat and the boat was clipping along fairly quickly with the high wind...his legs got wrapped around the line and he was then dragged under water for some time. Fortunately, the crew member in the water had an inflatable PFD, lots of warm clothing and stayed calm during the whole event.

 Back on board, there was much excitement. The crew finally got back to the person in the water and managed to winch him back onto the boat. They were lucky that the person in the water did not panic.

 What does Ann have to say now about her person overboard experience?

 "I will definitely become more accountable and make sure that I have a conversation with the skipper before I leave the dock.” says Ann with confidence.  She goes on to say, “I want to know what his/her crew overboard action plan is...walk through the process by which the skipper will use if there is a person overboard. Make sure that there are other crew members trained in this procedure and clear about what to do if the skipper is the one to go overboard. I will make sure that I follow my check check procedure...making sure that all of the safety equipment is on board, where it is located and that it is working efficiently. I would definitely make sure that the buoyant heaving line attached to the life ring is not attached directly to the boat and if there is life pole...it is fixed at the stern where it could easily be utilized. Plus make sure I wear my PFD. One never knows who or when someone will go overboard. Every person should have a plan, practice it and be able to assume the leadership role, be accountable and be responsible."

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS

Purchase a good PFD, take good care of it and wear it! If you have the kind that utilizes cartridges, then make sure you have at least one spare.

If you own your own boat - make sure you have the minimum required safety equipment and more - a life ring, buoyant heaving line and life pole. In addition, you could also have a life sling, block & tackle and extra buoyant heaving line. Have them set up appropriately and know how to use them.

Whether it is your own boat or someone else's - do a check of the whole boat. Investigate where the thru-hulls are and where the safety equipment is located. Know how to use the radio.

If you own your own boat and are the skipper - have a person overboard plan and if you are on someone else's boat - ask the skipper what is his/her plan and what role would you play if you needed to participate in a man overboard procedure.

Never go into the water to assist another person overboard. You could end up in trouble and then two people would need assistance.

You can utilize the triangle method or the quick stop method to return to a person overboard. These are the standard methods taught through the Canadian Yachting Association Sail Training programs and what we teach here at HERIZEN™. Learn these methods and then practice, practice and practice. You can make the practice fun and at the same time treat it seriously. Throw a hat over board and practice retrieving it.

In our next newsletter, we will focus on how to get the person overboard back into the boat. Here is a tip in case you need it between then and now.

Make or purchase a block and tackle that can be attached to a halyard and used to hoist a person back into the boat.

WHATS NEW AT HERIZEN!

We were featured in "Today's Women" the Bulletin Newspaper in April. Check out the story

"High Seas Freedom"