As I recall, I first became interested in sailing back in 1989 when I joined Marina Sailing. At the time we lived on the Palos Verdes Penninsula and Marina Sailing's location in the Long Beach, Shoreline Village was convenient. My idea was to develop a sport which the family could enjoy on the weekends. My son, David, who was then 12 took the courses with me and we eventually earned our certifications. We even took out a couple of charters and explored the coastline between Long Beach and Marina Del Rey.

But, as sometimes happens, our attention shifted and after a year or two we moved south to Orange County. The kids started college, the membership lapsed, and we became immersed in other activities. Then about a year ago a close friend who enjoys wintering on the west coast suggested I take up sailing again, except this time out of the Dana Point Harbor.

Howard and his wife, Ann, live in Mattapoisett, Massachusettes and are no strangers to sailing. Howard owns a 28 foot, Alerion Express which he has rigged for single-handed sailing. He has a lot of experience sailing the Buzzard Bay area and got started years ago the same way I did. However, being a more determined soul than I, he kept sailing even after the kids moved out and were no longer available to crew.

Howard’s suggestion seemed like a good idea so I agreed to go back to school and learn how to sail all over again. My only condition was that he pick the school. So it was we signed up for the basic sailing course at the Aventura Sailing Association located in Dana Point Harbor.

It’s amazing how much you can learn in 24 hrs of basic sailing classes (or in the alternative how much you can forget in a few years). Aventura’s basic course covered the 5 points of sail, docking and man overboard procedures, rules of the road, knots, rigging, radio procedures and much, much more. It was paced quick enough you didn’t lose interest, and slow enough you could comfortably absorb the materials.

The Aventura’s basic course mixes class lectures with hands-on lab sessions on its own Catalina 30s. Each boat has it’s own peculiar rigging setup, and the handling differences keep you on your toes. The final examine was both written, and practical, and was just hard enough to give you a feeling of confidence.

After receiving our certifications, Howard and I were ready (ok, Howard was already ready) for our first solo cruise. We were assigned the Me II Me II. Being good sailors we followed our training and started the motor first before setting up the boat. To our surprise we discovered a glitch in the throttle linkage. The training paid off big time. No problems, a quick call to the clubhouse and we were reassigned to the Cloud Chaser II.

While both boats are Catalina 30s, the Cloud Chaser’s rigging is very different from Me II. Cloud Chaser's grinder and cleat for the main halyard are on the mast. This means you have no choice but to go forward to raise and lower the main sail. The Cloud Chaser’s jib halyard is on the starboard side, instead of the port side while the mainsheet and jib sheets for the two boats are rigged the same.

In a few minutes we had Cloud Chaser’s diesel happily putting alone. We quickly checked out the rest of the boat and and squared away our gear.

Coming out of the slip and motoring through the harbor was like sailing on glass. There wasn’t even a hint of wind on the surface of the water. However, if you looked carefully you could see the fluttering of the flag at the top of the harbor flag pole and the wind indicators on the tops of the taller masts moving in response to changes in wind direction. These indicators told us the wind was offshore which completely agreed with the forecasts calling for afternoon gusting winds (we them Santa Ana’s) coming from the inland high deserts. Small craft warnings were also expected in the afternoon.

Once clearing the harbor, light wind could be seen gusting in patches across the surface of the water. We turned into it and set both the main and the jib. Almost immediately our sails caught and we started what would be fairly long reach at about 4 mph.

Just about the time Cloud Chaser’s speed reached 7 mph plus or minus, the wind gave out and we were in caught in a calm three or four miles out off the San Clemente pier. Looking back toward the harbor we could see the sails of a dozen or more boats involved in a race that had taken them in a direction opposite to ours (toward Laguna Beach instead of San Clemente). En mass the racers were coming about and in the distance you could see the disruption of a reasonably strong wind moving across the water in our direction.

As the racers approached, we could see they were heeled over and spanking along at a good clip, but we remained becalmed as we waited for the wind to reach us. Then, as if by magic, the wind filled our sails and Cloud Chaser lurched forward. Our speed climbed as we ran back along a reciprocal course toward the harbor. As the wind increased small white caps became visible and the boat heeled over.

At the harbor opening we turned into the wind and doused the sails. From there it was short motor, to our slip. Next time we’ll head the other way toward Laguna Beach.