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A Beginner's Mind
A Few Takes On
Sailing and The Great Salt Lake
Here you will find a beginner's perspective, on my own personal odyssey
from 'wannabee' to 'waterman.' I present a chronicle of my step-by-step development -- what I learned and discovered along the beginner's path.
Here is my approach. If my start-up is informative, useful, helpful or just simply entertaining to another, then I have achieved my purpose. "Grasshopper, does not the pebble
when entering water
begin new journeys?"
-- Kung Fu (TV Program) THE BEGINNER'S MIND
"In Japan we have the phrase shoshin, which means 'beginner's mind.'
The goal of practice is always to keep our beginner's mind. . . .
You might easily lose your original attitude towards it. . . .
For a while you keep your beginner's mind, but . . .
you are liable to lose the limitless meaning of original mind. . . .
Our 'original mind includes everything within itself.
It is always rich and sufficient within itself.
You should not lose your self-sufficient state of mind.
This does not mean a closed mind,
but actually an empty mind and a ready mind.
If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything;
it is open to anything.
In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities;
in the expert's mind there are few. . . .
So the most difficult thing is always to keep your beginner's mind. . . .
In the beginner's mind there is no thought, 'I have attained something.'
All self-centered thoughts limit our vast mind.
When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self,
we are true beginners.
Then we can really learn something. . .
This is the real secret of the arts:
always be a beginner."
-- Shunryu Suzuki
Introduction: Dream Time
Getting Out On The Water: A Primordial Urge We all begin by standing on the shore and looking out on the water. I am almost 50 years old, now. I've been looking out on the water for a long
time. At first I stood transfixed looking out across puddles, canals, and rivers. Later it was lakes and oceans. All total, it's been a half a century.
It's a primordial urge that we get, I believe.
Early man stood on the shores and got these same ideas. How to get out there? How to cross to the other side? It is a fundamental but ancient
urge that grips most of us at one time or another. For some it never goes away.There are two kinds of early man that I've heard stories of, however. One
was the Neanderthal man and the other was the Cro-Magnon man. They say that both existed at the same time for a while.
Neanderthal man migrated across Europe from site to site, across France, across Spain, until he came to the Rock of Gibraltar. There he
stopped, in sight of Africa, just 8 miles away. There is no evidence to suggest that he ever crossed. There is no evidence of Neanderthal Man on that other side. They say that Neanderthal man was probably afraid of the water, that perhaps he could not swim, that perhaps he could not
invent the raft that would make the journey possible, that perhaps he could not previsualize or dream up the idea of himself crossing the great water.
Cro-Magnon man, on the other hand, has left evidence of himself everywhere. He got out on the water, he crossed to the other side. He
was not afraid of the water, although he probably had a healthy respect for it. He stayed out on the water, too. He kept himself out on many such
journeys until his kind was everywhere on the planet. I've read a little archaeology, but nothing seems to give better evidence of who our ancient
ancestors were than this. If modern man is related to anyone, it would have to have been this fellow, the dreamer, the inventor, the romantic, the
seer, the beginner of new journeys. This guy was born to sail. Previous Experience Or The Lack Thereof
None. Zero. Zip. Nada. That's where I am beginning. Oh, I have been out on the water. There was that raft we kids lashed together up at Little
Hole on the Green River near Dutch John in Daggett County back about 1961 . . . And I did go sailing in California once in 1972 with a guy named Neil that
my brother knew. We left late one afternoon from Richmond in the bay area. I think now the boat was something like an old Catalina (aren't they
all when you are new to this?). We sailed out into the San Francisco Bay (you know the one that the Oakland Bay Bridge spans!). We were
moving in the general direction of Angel Island. Beautiful! Magnificent! But of course, Neil didn't know what he was doing -- the darn thing kept
"leaning" over on one side in the wind so that it was hard to sit in the "uphill side of the boat," this can't be right -- I thought then. Then the wind
died and we spent the next 2 to 3 hours bobbying around out there, watching the city lights twinkle on and the western sun twinkle off. Beautiful! Magnificent!
And we waited for the wind. We listened to his FM-stereo that he had on board. I remember it was Al "Jazzbo" Collins ("Badges? I don't got to
show you no stinking badges!") and he was playing "Amazing Grace" by Hubert Laws (jazz flute). Beautiful! Magnificent!
Outside of a few other times out on the water in rowboats, that's about it. But I have always had this romantic notion of getting my own boat and
sailing, often, for long periods of time. (I was never interested in motorboating -- too noisy, too obtrusive, perhaps.) Living in Utah made
sailing seem impossible. I know better now, but it did seem out of the question.
Great Salt Lake Vistas: Birth of a Dream
Things really got started back on a a beautiful, unseasonably balmy day in February 1998, one Sunday, when I took a slow drive around Antelope Island with my wife and children. We
stopped just below the Buffalo Point concession at a bend in the road to picnic. The view was glorious. The lake was radiant. It was one of those days where you could see everything. (It was so clear you could
tell what sex each of the islands were!) It looked like a scene from the Pleistocene Epoch, a time when you might have looked up to the Wasatch and seen live glaciers snaking down the valleys with herds of
something like dawn elk or mammoths below. It was simply pristine.
As we sat there taking in the Great Salt Lake vistas, my wife and I
decided that it was time to stop wishing we were among the number who call themselves sailors and do something serious about it. We decided
to start making the first moves toward buying our own sailboat for cruising (something more than just day-sailing was what we had in mind). We
had wished and told ourselves for years that it would be nice to do this. We began a special savings account immediately. Soon, we hoped, we
would be out in that sea that we surveyed. We couldn't think of anyplace on earth we would rather be. It would be "The Great Salt" for us!
Marilyn's Book: Small Boat Cruising on Great Salt Lake One of the first things we did after deciding that we should start sailing
was to take a look at the books out there. Sometimes when you go out looking for something it seems to pop right out at'cha. Then you think it's
destiny or like somebody up there is droppin' motivational cookies on the path before you. That's what it seemed like to us when we found Marilyn's Book
. That's what we call it, "Marilyn's Book," but it is actually:
Small Boat Cruising on Great Salt Lake, Past and Present
by Marilyn Kraczek
1995
ISBN #0-89036-622-5
Hawkes Publishing, Inc.
Post Office Box 65735
Salt Lake City, Utah 84165
(801) 266-5555
We didn't know how to pronounce her last name, but later on, we met her and she told us to pronounce it "KRAZ-ik."
We really recommend Marilyn's Book. It's one of the best places to start getting familiar with the Great Salt Lake and what it might be like cruising
out there. The History is summarized well. It is full of advice. She fully shares the tribulations as well as the triumphs of beginning to sail. Her
family sailing experiences seem to cover the full spectrum from perfect daysailing daydreams on calm sunny seas to the perfect nightmares of
"dark and stormy nights." I read the book. Then I read it again. When I was done, my wife read it from cover to cover. It is found all over town
in various libraries
, and it is in most of the bookstores here, locally, for about $16, large paperback. Unfortunately it is not available from my link with
Amazon Books, but fortunately, it is available locally from all the bookstores, Utah-Idaho Supply,and at the ranger headquarters on Antelope Island.Assessing the Economic Situation
At the beginning, I stated that "we all begin by standing on the shore and looking out at the water." But some of us are coming with our pockets
full of cash and some like me begin with our pockets empty. Oh, to be sure our hearts are full, but we just don't have a lot of bucks. I am going
to assume that I am probably the most common type of beginner -- the kind who's economic situation is pretty limited. This can't keep me off the
Great Salt Lake, however. We who feel the squeeze need not tell ourselves that the dream can not come true. We have several choices.
1) We can go in for sailing in the smallest and the cheapest way possible. If you do not know how to sail, this is going to be recommended to you over and over, anyway. The company
representatives for sailboats will often offer to give lessons in order to make the sail on the boats, but they will want to get you out in small lightweight small class craft (dinghies, dinks, sloops, daysailers,Hobie Cats, Vanguards, Blue Jays, Lasers, etc.) These are wet and wild and
some of the most fun sailing there is. It is recommended because of the "feel" that one gets at the response that is learned from the hull, rudder,
sails, and centerboard (the primary controls). One can learn to sail without going this route but it is more difficult to get the "feel" starting with
the larger yacht or cruising sailboat.
2) We can begin with creative financing. Swapping, bartering, borrowing,
leveraging, and entrepreneuring your way into the boat of your dreams is very possible. You usually end up being partners with a bank, however,
though not necessarily. This is not within the scope of this page to go into these means, but they can get you where you want to go higher and farther faster.
3) We can try to live perfectly within our means, make the compromises, and create the plan to get us where we want to go. This is where most
beginners, I would imagine, will begin. Our economic situation will make us try to get the most boat for the least amount of money (without going
too far beyond our means at any particular time along the way to attaining the goal). This is how I am entering the picture. If I want more boat, I
simply must save for a longer time. We can work for the downpayment and then consider making the monthly payments (unless it is a cash deal) that suits our checkbook.
What is important, however, is to not tell yourself that it can't be done. It can. Check it out. Walk the Marinas
and ask the sailors how they put themselves into their boats. I'm sure you won't run into too many
eccentric millionaires down there. And they are the walking, talking proof that it can be done. Hey, for the price of a nice car you can put yourself
into one of these. By the time you are 50, like I will be soon, you will have put yourself in quite a few cars over the years. Why not drive one or
two of them just a little longer than usual and stop along the way and put yourself into one of these dreamboats?
I am an Elementary School Teacher, now. (They start at just around
$20,000/year with small 2-5% stepped increases over the years.) To be sure, I can't afford too much of a boat too soon. I used to be an oilfield
engineer, and believe me, I could have afforded a whole lot more sailboat once upon a time. That was a sweeter $60,000/year half-time job (a week
on, a week off; a month on, a month off; etc.) My wife works too. That makes a big difference. Still it is not a large income, and that is what will make my story pretty typical.
Idea: Making Small Sailboats Sail Big One of the most helpful and encouraging of all the good ideas that I've come across in my short time at this comes from Jerry Cardwell in his
book called Sailing Big On A Small Sailboat
(Sheridan House, New York, 1993):
"Unfortunately, the popular mythology surrounding sailing and sailors has led most of these people to believe that they could not
afford to realize the dream. That's a pity, because doing so is within the reach of most of the people who think it isn't.
One way of living the dream is to buy a truly small sailboat and "keep it simple." That's fine if you enjoy roughing it in truly
cramped quarters, with almost no room to move around. In these boats your chin is always touching your knees, you can never quite raise your head
up and, if you want to use the "head" you must order everyone out of the cabin, or into the cabin while you move the toilet to the
cockpit. This is what I call "sailing small on a small sailboat." For me, the cramped quarters and sheer discomfort of it all doesn't
even come close to fulfilling the dream we share.
Let me assure you, however, that the dream can be fulfilled on
slightly larger small sailboats. Rather than buying a 14 to 19-foot "microcruiser," I recommend that you buy a trailerable sailboat that
is 22- to 26-feet long, and think big, not small, as you equip it.
My own reasoning works this way: When I was young I sailed
microcruisers in total discomfort. It was fun then. It isn't now. However, I won't buy more sailboat than I can possibly afford, a 30-
to 45-footer which will cost $80,000 to $125,000 or more to buy and equip. Not me. I'll buy a 22- to 26-foot boat, equip it to sail big, and spend a lot less.
This leads me to Cardwell's First Law of Sailing Big, and it is the premise upon which this book is based -- "YOU CAN SAIL BIG
ON A SMALL SAILBOAT FAR MORE EASILY AND FOR MUCH LESS MONEY THAN YOU CAN SAIL SMALL ON A BIG SAILBOAT."
That's good advice for pobrecitos (dear poor ones), I think, and it can serve people like me as a basis for planning. I will be making some
ammendments to his parameters because there are certain other boats worth considering outside of the 22-26 foot range that he restricts himself
to. I think that 17 to 30+ feet makes more sense here, at the Great Salt Lake. I hope to explain this in one of my takes elsewhere. I will illustrate
what I am finding out about considering boats for The Great Salt Lake.Assessing and Satisfying Basic Needs What I needed to do next was check out the demands of the overall
picture, but I went about it all wrong. That's the beginners prerogative: you can do anything within your power in any order.
THE SAILBOAT BUYERS GUIDE. What I did was this: I immediately
went out and bought SAIL's Sailboat Buyers Guide: The Complete Guide
to Boats and Gear.
This is a great annual catalog/magazine that showcases all of the major sailboat companies with boats currently in production. Each boat is seen in photo and/or schematic side and plan
views. There is a brief description. There is also a partial rundown of the boats specs including lengths, beam, draft, displacement, ballast, sail
area, and, in a few cases, even a price. If you are interested in obtaining one, it can be purchased from the larger newstands for about $6.00 (it
looks like a thick magazine). The entire magazine can be seen on the internet piecemeal. (Browsing on the Internet is not as easily done as
browsing with your two thumbs through the magazine, however.)
It didn't take me long to realize that I was getting no place fast. I wasn't
any better off than a kid in the 1950s with 39 cents to his name looking through the MonkeyWards or SearRoebuck catalogs at Christmas. But all
roads lead to Rome. It taught me that I had to get some priorities straight, and that I had to learn a few things fast and that I had to try to learn what I needed in the order in which they
came up. Ballast? Displacement? Centerboards, keels? Draft? This precipitated a quick trip to the library where I found many, many books on
sailing, most for beginners. The glossaries at the back of most came in very handy.
What you've got to do before too long is determine what kind of sailboat
you are going to need. This is what I think I next began to spend most of my time on. What do I need? What factors, parameters, details were
going to determine my needs. By a process not unlike tacking into the wind you come to your destination by
staying within certain limiting conditions.
BASIC NEEDS. In school, I teach the kids that there are
5 basic needs that we as human beings must all satisfy (in positive ways) for our lives to have any meaning. Here now, I had to review and be able to take my own
lesson to heart, else it was not worth a dime. One of the needs is physiological and the other four are psychological. The first is survival.
This includes water air, food, shelter, temperature regulation. Next we must have some freedom to choose. We must satisfy to a certain extent
a need to exert power and control over ourselves and outside ourselves. Each of us must satisfy our needs for love and belonging. And finally,
each of us needs to satisfy our hunger for fun and learning. I think you can see where I am going with this. This pretty much says it all about
sailing. With proper attention paid to our survival needs sailing can satisfy so many of our psychological needs.
But which boat is right for me? Here is where I should have started. After a brief romance looking over the boats, I was brought by the indirect route
to asking questions, the answers to which bring me closer and closer toward some conclusion. The questions are many. The answers will be
as varied as the individuals asking them, I found out. Which boat is best for the money I am going to be able to pay? Which boat is best for the
area where I will be sailing, in our case, the Great Salt Lake? Will I be trailering and if so how heavy and wide can it be? Can I afford a slip at
the Marina? Will I be able to entertain my family and friends aboard? Which boat affords the greatest amount of creature comforts to me?
Which boats are capable of standing up to storms? Which boat gives me the best construction for my money? Answering these and other
questions is part of the fun of being a beginner at the Great Salt Lake. Each can take you on a small quest
. As you answer your questions and refine your criteria, you will be learning something. You will be changed by those quests.
(To Ports of Call)
Checking It Out at the Local Libraries
So, now that I was beginning to take a look at my basic needs, I think I
was beginning to get on the right track. But before I could match my needs to the demands of the Great Salt Lake, I had to get a little basic
education. I needed to started reading about sailing and The Great Salt Lake. I had already read Marilyn's Book: Small Boat Cruising On The
Great Salt Lake and, as I said, this may be the best place to start because it provides such a good overview. The next stage was visiting the
Salt Lake County Libraries (one library card gives access to all of them, and there are many).
It was still winter and this was a very good use of my time while the
snows were still raging. Be sure to visit the libraries before ever going out to buy books -- there are a lot of titles, and you can save yourself a lot of
money. Librarians are among my favorite people: they always seem to take other people's interests as a personal challenge. I've never known one to not be of some help when I needed
it. The Salt Lake County Library system can be reached online at
http://www.slco.lib.ut.us or you can use my handy list of S.L. Co. Library Books in circulation that I thought might be of interest to beginners.Other Things To Do While You Are Waiting For Your Boat If you are waiting for your boat, or waitin for the money, or waiting for the
courage, or waiting for a sign from above, here are some things to do to stay into sailing as much as possible.
1. GO TO THE LIBRARIES. See what's at the Library on our handy website
. Read everything you can get your hands on. Research things that capture your imagination. Let one thing of interest lead you to find
out more. As you progress, new questions are raised. Follow through with them. Take flights of fancy: read novels about voyaging around the
world, poems, history, anything that grabs you. If you are serious about sailing, you will not let die whatever brought you to it in the first place. 2. VISIT THE BOOKSTORES. At our Bookstore
we have put
together some of the books that we would like to have seen. In most every case they are cheaper than those found in the retail stores. Start
your own small but practical library of only the most useful books that will help with your own personal needs and interests. 3. BROWSE THE WORLD-WIDE WEB. Get on the Internet and
start collecting and bookmarking the sites that are most helpful to you. (We hope our website is one of them, of course. And if you happen to
add a page on sailing to your own personal website, we also hope you will let us know about it so we can add you to our list, too.) I have gone a
long way toward creating the links that I would like to have seen on a website: See SuperLinks. Get started by getting your questions answered (I spent a little time contacting
Newsgroups, E-Mail Lists and Forums where others were usually ready and willing to answer my
questions). Another favorite pastime became working with search engines. Don't just put in keywords like "sailing," add a few others like
"dream" or "points of sail" in combinations just to see what you will get, once in a while. Use the simple Boolean commands recommended with
each search engine. Each search then becomes a little quest and turns up some real unexpected surprises. You can learn a lot from others on various topics from the web (See Learning Sailing On the Web). Later on
this is all good stuff for when the weather forbids or the snow is falling. Sailing the Great Salt Lake isn't just nuts and bolts, however, so don't
forget to learn all you can about the lake, the creatures on, in, and around it, the history, the geology, the weather etc. (See:
GSL Biological, GSL Physical, GSL Historical)
. 4. LIST THE CONDITIONS OF YOUR "IDEAL BOAT." As an example, here are some things I considered. My needs led, as will
yours,to the "ideal boat": (a) It had to sleep family of 5 and with a guest sometimes 6; (b) I would use it sometimes to entertain kids and
teenagers; (c) I am interested in cruising the Great Salt Lake on 2 to 4 day adventures; (d) I would like to get close enough to the islands to go
ashore (consider shallow draft, swing keel vs. keel, kayak, dinghy, or wade); (e) I wanted a boat that I could eventually single-hand without
crew; (f) I didn't want to be bothered right away with the frustrations of repairs, maintenance, or replacement, when what I really wanted to do
was get started sailing, so I considered only new or ready-to-sail used-boats; (g) It was a must that I get the boat stepped, launched, and
lessons thrown in on the deal so I could learn this right away; (h) I wanted a boat that was "tried and true" for the Great Salt Lake and to all its
conditions (storms, winds, salinity, shallowness, winter-sailing); i) The down-payment and monthly payments had to be workable with my budget
(In my case, this meant I could afford a $10,000 used boat or a $20,000 new boat -- monthly payments are actually more on used-boats. I also
learned from my period of waiting that when you find that you really want to sail, you can't afford not to: "Just do it!"); (j) I had to decide whether I
was going to be a trailer-sailor or to take a permanent slip at the docks. Slip fees are a little over $100 per month. I have begun a boat-list for the Great Salt Lake that I think would be useful to others, too
. I tried to take in a reasonable set of requirements for a possible first yacht, sloop for
families (3 or more) in the 19 to 30 foot range. You will learn other things along the way. For example I know that (if I had the wherewithal and the
kids were all grown up and living away from home) I would consider a liveaboard situation in a 30-footer. I also wonder what a Flicka 20 or the Skimmer 25 would be like on the Great Salt Lake.
5. TALK TO THE SAILING COMMUNITY. Whatever you think you
are learning, no matter what conclusions you think you are coming to, take your ideas to the sailing community and see what they think. Don't
ask questions like what is the ideal sailing boat? Give them your specific conditions and see what they say.
Talking to others led us to our boat: For a long time I was pretty convinced that I was going to go with a new boat. I had even pretty much
decided it would be a Hunter 24 or 26. I could have been very happy with this decision. We had even decided to buy from local brokers Mark Peery & Travis Gregory of Intermountain Sailing (two great guys -- sailing enthusiasts we met at the Salt Palace Annual Boat Show-- who were
never pushy and put our sailing interests before their own). We just weren't ready to make the down payment or the monthlys. One day they
told us they had a used Catalina 25 for sale that they had picked up in Idaho, would we like to look at it? For months we had been up and down
the docks and talking to sailors here and on the internet. Many (most) sailors recommended that our first boat be a used-boat because of the
number of extras/improvements that one might get on the boat. The asking-price was in our range for a used boat, the bank told us, and it had
beaucoups of extras like a good sail inventory, radios, Autohelm with depth sounder, speed, plenty of lines, and replacement equipment, head,
gimballed stove, original canvas coverings and top covers, good outboard, and a tried and true reputation at the Great Salt Lake. It was a 1984
Catalina that virtually showed no signs of wear or corrosion having never been in saltwater. We think the previous owner used it for picnics out on
the water for short times, so it was in good shape -- not the kind of sailboat that would require repair and replacement for months before being
ready to sail. We jumped on it. Been very happy, too -- no, that's putting it too mildly -- we are all having a love affair with the darn thing! Our lives
have changed since sailing really began. All that talking and listening to others for 9 months had paid off.
My point is this: get out there to the marinas. Read the bulletin boards
and the want ads in the newspapers (look under "672" in the SL Tribune). Often you will see the gates open at the Marina. You may (at
least for now) walk the docks and look at the boats with "For Sale" signs and talk to their owners (if they are open to conversation). They will show
you a boat for sale, possibly even take you out on a demo-run. Ask lots of questions, and be prepared to ask those burning questions the next
time you visit with someone. Most of all -- listen -- don't be a know-it-all or spend too much time telling everyone what you have been learning.
Nothing kills a good visit quicker. If you are a rookie, be a rookie! Many sailors are very willing to foster a beginner if you will act like one -- be
humble and they will be salty. That's what you want.
When I first started out, I thought for a while that I might want to get
a MacGregor 26X in order to meet my prerequisites. I saw one at the GSL. I asked the ranger who owned it and if I might call him about. I
called. A fellow named Clark Doxe answered. I was enthusiastic and obviously a rank-beginner. He invited me to go sailing, I accepted. I had
a beautiful time, and for a while I was sure I would be getting a MacGregor 26X. I changed my mind for a variety of reasons, but I never forgot the
hospitality that this sailor showed to me, a complete sight-unseen stranger. It's what I have experienced ever since on phone, in person, or on the internet in chats or newsgroups.
This friendliness is consistent with the Yacht Club, too. One thinks of a Yacht Club and one usually thinks of cocktails, blue blazers, and a
bunch of stuffed shirts standing around talking about "mumsy" and the "cah keys to my Rolls." (Where do we get ideas like this, Doby Gillis, The Great Gatsby
, maybe?") Anyway they aren't like that at all, and that kind of stereotype shouldn't keep you from getting to know those sailors.
It's about sailing, everybody. That's the common ground, if I may mix metaphors.
Note: One more word, here. All sailors value their privacy and don't appreciate people peering into windows, touching things, or stepping up
to look in the cockpit when they are socializing, entertaining, or with guests. It seems a shame that something needs to be said, but be considerate of others
. Many do not want to be bothered by everyone who walks a dock, so respect that, and that can only be played by ear, so pay
attention to signs of openness and closedness. No one wants to be rude, I'm sure.
6. STUDY MAGAZINES AND CATALOGS. I found a copy of SAIL's Sailboat Buyers Guide to Sailboats
in the local stores. I practically wore it out, reading, comparing, contrasting, looking up boats and their specs.
These are only the currently-still-in-production sailboats, of course, and if you are interested in seeing used-boats be sure to go to the internet
where you can find some fans or groups of each of the particular boats providing pages about those boats (See my Boat List). Get a copy of WestMarine's Catalog
online. You will see an inventory of how little you really know by looking at it. The equipment is standard issue and
commonplace to the sailors in-the-know. Find out what things are called, what they are used for. Read the articles. I look forward to the new
issues of these. I'm sure I will never be without them. I have tried to put a few of these indispensibles in my SuperLinks section under Handy Links, Useful Links.
7. VISIT THE STORES. I think everyone should meet Dave Shearer at Sid's Sports (3925 E. 3300 S. ph: 486-9424). He's knowledgeable and
helpful and can answer most questions or put you in touch with someone else who can. Dave is the sailing rep for the store but he also hires out to
do many valued kinds of service. They do not have a website yet, or I would put you in touch with that here. He's easy to spot with his dog,
Shaman and his bare feet. When he's not at the docks or in the store he's often out on the Hobie Cat or his Catalina 25 on K-Dock.
8. LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN ABOUT THE GREAT SALT LAKE. As one who is going to be taking one's recreation and peace of
mind from the lake, we should each be one who in turn participates in its well-being and preservation.
Just read the Great Salt Lake Articles Archives and see how many
uses and misuses this place is under. It won't take you long to realize that few really appreciate it as it is (or as it used to be). Many have
designs upon or near the lake that change it. And even our government leaders will suggest it be turned into prisons, or that we turn it into a
freshwater lake, or that we build dikes, causeways, highways and railroads all over it. It is divided piecemeal, because of a lack of cohesive
thinking. The nations #1 polluter is on the lake, too.
Learn something about the
geology and physical features. You should be interested in things seen and unseen, espeically when it
comes to the biological aspects of the lake. From bacteria to birds, the more you know, understand, and appreciate the lake and the more you share it with others, the more and better are the chances that the lake will
be preserved. At its largest, the lake may be seen as a drainage or shed system that includes all its rivers, wetlands, mudflats, and shores, not just the water itself.
Once in a while I meet someone who takes staunch opposition to this kind of thinking about the environment. I hear how some hate
environmentalists and how they believe they put lakes' and bugs' needs before mans' needs, but I look at it like this: We are all together on this
planet, and since we are in the environment and affecting the environment, we are all environmentalists whether we know it or not; negative
environmentalists are doing harmful things or turning their backs on the needs of the ecosystem; positive environmentalists are trying to do helpful
things and not turn their backs on the needs of the ecosystem. I think the golden rule should go something like this: Become in the world what
you would like the world to become for you. It is a world of becoming and a little like tacking upwind: if we stay as "close-hauled" to preservation as
we can we can avoid the "dead-zone" (extremism) where we experience stalling or complete and utter loss of momentum. All of the threads of
dying lead to reduction of quality and end in the dying of humanity. So, recognizing this, we should all be very concerned when we hear that the
grebes are dying or that the population of brine shrimp are dwindling, and be happy to hear that the pelicans are returning in larger numbers. Sail on.
It is ignorance about the lake that most threatens it. The SuperLinks are my best effort at exposing others to the various aspects about the
Great Salt Lake. Please take your time to get to know the departments there. I have opened many websites and made links directly to topics
within them so that it wasn't left up to the visitor to browse around to try to find everything. Titles and descriptions should help readers to get to
where they want to go, to learn what they want to know, quickly.
9. JOIN THE FRIENDS OF GREAT SALT LAKE, your membership
fee goes toward preservation and increasing this awareness we have been talking about. 10. JOIN THE UTAH-SAILING E-MAIL LIST, it's free and covers a wide variety of topics (boats for sale, advice sought and given, news and
notices, Yacht Club public events, etc), and through time you will learn how concerned and active other sailors are.
11. TAKE A TOUR OF THE GREAT SALT LAKE. I think this is about as good a date as you will ever have. Contact the Salt Island Adventures and take one of their tours. They have many. Some are short, some are all day, some are at night, some include meals or dining,
some include island hopping, all are a good time with experts on the Great Salt Lake (Steve Ingram, US Coast Guard Auxillary; Taylor Kip,
sailing GSL since Sea Scouts in 1949; Clint Baty, former ranger for GSL State Park and Marina). You will see what it is like out there and that this site has made no exaggeration. The
Friends of Great Salt Lake have a membership tour around September in which for the price of the tour you can gain membership and bring guests at a discount, but the
reservations must be made well in advance, so look for their announcement at their website. 12. DRIVE TO THE GREAT SALT LAKE. Once I decided I was
going to sail at the Great Salt Lake, I couldn't stay away. I came to the marina every week to walk the docks and talk the talk. But I took drives
out to see it at sunset, too. I went to
Saltair, and the GSL Marina, and Antelope Island frequently -- remember this is where our decision to sail actually began. Then we started taking drives along the roads that
accessed the shores. On weekends we ranged farther taking drives which took in the wetlands,the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, the Farmington Bay Waterfowl Management Area. Although, I never got around to it, their are several groups that get together on field trips to go to the Great Salt Lake and its environs:
The Friends of Great Salt Lake, Great Salt Lake Audubon
,
Wasatch Audubon,
13. READ MARILYN'S BOOK. We mentioned this above. If you haven't done it yet, now's the time to do it. It's called Small Boat Cruising on Great Salt Lake: Past and Present.
14. WINTER-SPRING SEMINARS AT SLC LIBRARY. The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club with the US Coast Guard Auxillary provide a
lectures series on a wide variety of topics once a week for about 8 weeks. See the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club calendar for this worthwhile activity.
15. TAKE SAILING LESSONS. I would like to make/collect here a few "cards" for the people who give sailing lessons. If you give lessons I
would be happy to post your information here (I'll make a card's-worth of information), so that new sailors can find you. We make no claims or
recommend these teachers by including them here. We are simply trying to provide local information for the beginner. |
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