Our first on-the-water event of the 2026 season took place this past Saturday, as we kicked things off with the MacSkills (Step-1) Confidence Cruise.
We sailed with a full complement of five crew, all eager to take part in every aspect of handling the boat and working the sails – well done and congratulations to Alan Harrer, Gaelle Le Penven, Linda Putman, Russ & Gwyneth Born. We were also joined by standby crew member Vladimir Samokhin, who participated in the land-based portion. And a big thank you to Alan for graciously volunteering “Oh Bay Ba” (26M) as Host Boat for us to sail on.
We spent time on the ramp reviewing tips for stepping the mast and rigging the boat more efficiently, helping to get the boat in the water more quickly in future. We launched the boat and proceeded with a dock-talk, including a demonstration of the spring-line technique for safely departing in tight spaces or against the wind.
The weather was beautiful with warm blue skies and calm seas … well, maybe the seas were a little too calm with mostly light winds – but we still had the sails up all day (with some motor assist) as we went through the basics of: rudders and keel, water ballast, sail versus power, setting sails, sail shape, trimming sails and sail twist, reefing, boat balance, tacking verses jibing, heaving-to for lunch, crew overboard procedures, tides and currents, navigation aids, and rules of right of way. We finished with setting the boat to anchor.
Our 3-Step Confidence Cruise sailing series is designed to progressively build on the knowledge and experience gained in each session, encouraging members to spend more time on the water. The program focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics of our versatile MacGregor boats, along with practical skills for handling them confidently in a variety conditions.
A great way to start the season!
