A PPM ADULT AND FAMILY SAILING PROGRAM STORY:

HOW ONE FAMILY WENT FROM “OCCASIONAL SAILORS” TO BAREBOAT CHARTERING IN THE BVI TO BOATOWNERS AT PILOTS POINT MARINA IN TWO YEARS

Mark Pierce wanted to take adult sailing lessons because he’d been sailing his father-in-law-s small sailboat up in Maine every summer, his wife liked sailing, he had sailed with some friends and the family wanted to go to the BVI and charter a bareboat during the winter vacation. Mark and Kristen had taken the Offshore Sailing School Learn to Sail and Bareboat Charter course previously and wanted to make sure Mark had enough sailing experience on his own to feel comfortable captaining the boat for their family which included two young sons. They live close by in Essex and Mark had heard about the sailing program at Pilots Point from a friend of his who had purchased a Colgate 26 from Hilary a couple years previously and had kept his boat at Pilots Point.

In the fall of 2005, he signed up for a series of lessons on the Sailing School Colgate 26; first, on his own a few times under different wind conditions, then Kristen came out a couple times so they could perfect their “working as a team” and address any questions that Kristen had. That winter they went to the BVI. Their bareboat experience as part of a Flotilla was a great learning experience, they said, because of the winter trade winds and they were happy they were in the company of more experienced sailors. They had great memories of the trip and enjoyed sailing as a family.

During the summer of 2006, their boys took sailing lessons at a neighboring facility and loved being out on the water all day, captaining their own small craft. By the end of the summer, the whole family knew they were “hooked on sailing”.

In the Fall of 2006, they came back a few times to sail with Hilary some more on the Colgate 26. They discussed boat ownership and the next steps if they were to purchase a sailboat. Hilary told them they could work with one of the expert brokers at Brewer Yacht Sales who would help them through the process of purchasing the right boat for them and then she would have one of the PPM Sailing Programs licensed captains give them a professional introduction to their boat’s systems and work with them on any issues, like docking, until they felt comfortable.

Mark worked successfully with a Brewer Yacht Sales broker before purchasing the Pacific Seacraft that they now keep at PPM in the winter of 2006. Below are “before” photos of one of their sailing lessons on Duck Island Sound w/Hilary on the Colgate 26 and an “after” photo of their new boat with one of their sons in front. Sailing lessons at PPM are a “life enhancing” experience, whether you end up purchasing a sailboat or simply sign up for a few enjoyable afternoons experiencing the freedom of being out on the water and learning how to work with the wind and the sails; just ask the Pierces’!

 

		Adult sailing lesson with Mark & Kristen Pierce on the Colgate 26 - 2005	The Morrison Family out for a family "learn to sail"	Evan Pierce by the Pierce’s new Pacific Seacraft - 2006