Sailing in 15'' of Plastic

© Andrea Barrack / RumBum.com

Getting wet aboard the Bahia.

It’s a blustery day at Bayshore’s Sea Isle Marina, the site of Miami International Boat Show’s Strictly Sail exhibition, but not blustery enough to discourage these sailors to keep off the water.  Rather, the chop only encourages these boaters to get out there – and has them ribbing new sailors to hit the water with them. I am no exception.

Now, I’ve been out sailing and on speedboats a handful of times in my life (thanks to my fiancée who’s sailed for over almost two decades), so I was hoping to get on the water at some point.  Maybe in one of those big sailboats that sits nice high (and dry) off the water… but considering the massive wind today, I started thinking maybe I’d just send a proxy. The demos they have running all day courtesy of Discover Boating were such a huge hit that the last spot for their sail on the multi-person sailboat, Presto!, was filled by the gentleman in front of me in line. Awww… Proxy it is!

“Well, if you want to go now you can take the Bahia there,” suggested the man behind the demos, Sail © Andrea Barrack / RumBum.comAmerica’s Gary Edelman, as he pointed to a tiny boat about the size of a bathtub and singlehandedly upset my plans to stay high (and dry) off the water. “You might get wet, but that just makes it more fun.” On this particular chilly day, I wasn’t so sure about that. “He’ll take you,” Edelman said pointing to a teenage boy with sporty shades and scruff. “Just fill this out.”

Before I knew it I signed away my life and handed over the next 30 minutes to 19-year-old Alex Bancalari and a 15’ dinghy called the Bahia. (Ok, so it was a little bigger than a bathtub.) How long have you been sailing? I asked Alex. “Oh, five, six years,” he said like a seasoned pro. I was feeling a little better about things. And just how wet will I get exactly? “Eh, just some spray,” he shrugged with a smile. I strapped on a life jacket and (I must admit) I squealed just a little as we pushed off.

I braced myself as we entered the rolling water, leaving, of course, the 19-year-old to do all the work.  He was good, confident and genial as the watery speed bumps waved the Bahia left to right. “It gets kind more windy near the bridge,” the sailing teacher, Boston University undergraduate, and BU Dinghy Team member advised about the Venetian bridge. (“More?!” I thought.) But he used his weight to keep us on a (mostly) even keel by holding onto a rope attached to the boom, hoisted himself high above his seat, and leaned so far back over the water I momentarily became concerned that the life jacket may come in more handy for him than me.

His agility impressed me and it was smooth sailing from there on out. Even with the choppy water within arm’s reach – and yes, even closer on those few occasions when a hearty splash made its way over the starboard side and down the backside of my jeans – I’ve gained a new appreciation for those smaller sailboats thanks to Bancalari, Edelman, and the Miami International Boat Show. The free fun jaunt on the Bahia was certainly worth the price of admission as far as I’m concerned, so make sure you get to Strictly Sailing this weekend and head out yourself. The windier the better.