01/21/11

About
Sailing and Self-Awareness for Women
and Their Shipmates

In 1988 when I started my Sailing and Self-Awareness School for Women I had three goals in mind:

1. to develop a sailing school for women that honored women's needs and developed their confidence in both sailing and life in general;

2. to train other instructors to teach in the way I had specifically designed to build women's confidence and competence and to someday pass the school over to one of those students https://experience.tripster.ru/articles/kuba/. I knew in the beginning that the business must not end with me and that there was a limit to how long I could continue the pace; and

3. to write a book, based on the principles developed in the school, that would reach not only clients but as many women sailors, and their partners, as possible.

I achieved my first goal to the extent that by the end of the 2003 summer my entire 2004 teaching season was booked. My concern suddenly became "what will I do about all those women I have to turn away." To make matters worse, my winter cruising in the Bahamas for the past three winters gave me itchy feet to cruise farther a field and for longer periods of time.

Re my second goal, I supported five women through the Canadian Yachting Association Instructor Training Program, training four to teach for my sailing school for women. At the end of 2003 I sold the business to one of those trained instructors.

My third goal, to write a book, was achieved organically out of notes I made for students and other presentations.  Although originally meant for my sailing school clients, because of the encouragement of my grads to share the book with the general public, Sailing in Balance: A Boat and Sail Handling Manual for Women and Their Shipmates is now for sale from this website, as well as from me personally.

When I sold the Herizen� Sailing For Women Inc. I also sold the house and took off cruising full-time.  After about a year I realized that what was missing in my life was that I no longer had a clearly stated purpose for using my skills and gifts.  On a lovely overnight sail to Georgetown, Bahamas I realized my mission is to sail the seas supporting women in sailing.  The next day I shared my mission with a friend who immediately shared the idea with another woman and by the very next day we had the first of a series of seminars, based on the needs of the half a dozen women at hand.  A week later I made a general announcement and 50 women showed up.  All indications are that the need for my services are great wherever there are cruising women.

And just to keep life interesting, fun and inspiring, I also lead yoga on the beach whenever I can find an audience.

Namaste.