Cheoy Lee 41"Astraea"
Homeport San Francisco CA
Adventure Sailing With John Connolly
After our first two courses with Suzette (Click here if you want to see these) I had the bug. I wanted to go all the way with every certification that ASA offers! (This is typical of my Type A personality and desire to over-achieve). Bob was not so enthusiastic. Both of the first two courses had included a challenging written exam and a LOT of hours of study. He had studied hard and passed both levels with flying colors. He decided to pass on the opportunity to take further certification classes and tests, but I was ready to go!
Modern Sailing offered an interesting course that was seven days sailing with John Connolly, one of the living legends of sailing, on an Islander 53, a boat of similar design and vintage to our Cheoy Lee, only a bit larger. This course offered the chance to get three certifications: Bareboat Chartering, Advanced Coastal Cruising, and Coastal Navigation. Sounded good to me!
Now the thought of going to sea on a sailboat with six strangers might be a little intimidating to some, however I was confident that it would work out. The school assured me that they screen people going on this course to make sure they are qualified and have the experience to participate.
This in fact turned out to be a really fun group and one of the most intensive learning experiences I have ever experienced. First, John Connolly was all he was advertised to be. He has been sailing for 45 years and knows everything there is to know about sailing. He is also an incredible teacher and seems to love passing on his knowledge to his students. I must admit that during the course sailing knowledge came at us so fast it was a little like drinking from a firehose, but for almost seven days the six of use soaked up his experience and knowledge. I was amazed at how much I learned over this period. My only complaint? It seemed like the seven days were like two days. It went too fast!!!! (I wish a week at work went so fast!).
What a week! We went out to sea some 30 miles or so, we motored in no winds, sailed in stiff winds, sailed in good weather, sailed in total fog, dodged container ships, navigated, and the highlight of the seven days: we went into Half Moon Bay late at midnight in a total fog! TOTAL!! 
It was interesting to see our group come together. There was me; David, a PhD in Molecular Biology; Jake and Amy, a couple from Colorado; and Julia and Jacob, a young couple from San Francisco who had just finished college (Stanford). All of us had some sailing experience, so there were no "newbees" in the group. The first time we went into port at night was Monterey, and we did not work so well together. Our fifth night when we went into Half Moon Bay in incredibly challenging conditions we worked together like an experienced crew. It was amazing to see not only how we progressed as individuals, but as a team.
It was also interesting to watch John Connolly in his method of teaching. He let us do it, and only intervened when we were doing something totally wrong or he wanted to elaborate on a point of sailing. He also had the ability to point out errors that people made without embarrassing them. It was definitely a great experience and worth the time and money!
Our skipper and instructor, John Connolly, owner of Modern Sailing Academy in Sausalito.
Six of us spent six days aboard MSA's beautiful Islander 53 "Polaris" learning from our instructor, John Connolly. It was an incredible experience.
Our home and school for seven days, John's Islander 53. Note the fog here in Half Moon Bay. We had a lot of that during our trip!
The first day we provisioned the boat, became familiar with the boat and her systems, and planned out the week (as well as one can plan anything relative to sailing.... sailboats do not run on schedules like a train!!). Late in the afternoon, fully provisioned with lots of good food and wine and other essentials, we headed toward the SF Golden Gate bridge and anchored for the night in order to head out early the next morning.
The view as we prepared to head out to sea from the SF Bay.
Man, was it COLD out there in the Pacific off the coast of Northern California! Here it is mid June and we were in full foul weather gear.
Here I am during our seven day advanced coastal cruising course. It was late June, but it was COLD some 20 miles off the coast!
I must say it was also another first for me. All six of us got a bit sea-sick the first couple of days. However after feeding the fish by depositing my breakfast of eggs and sausage over the stern rail I was soon feeling fine. John taught us a new trick for seasickness: Coca-Cola Classic! It works! When our stomachs started to churn we chugged a coke (NOT DIET) and things settled down. See, you learn more than just navigation and seamanship on these trips!
Jacob keeping us on course as we enter port.
See, I was not the ONLY one cold! Julia and Jacob are also pretty well bundled up.
Due to the weather and so much fog there were only a couple of days to do celestial navigation. Here Jacob and Julia take Local Apparent Noon.
One of the really fun parts was the anchoring out and cooking dinner on the boat. We had all gone to the grocery store before the cruise and, as a group, we bought a HUGE amount of food. (And, you can see, plenty of wine and beer 
). This was the evening that Julia made a huge batch of pasta and home made pasta sauce which we all scarfed up! 
It is amazing how hungry one gets sailing all day!
At anchor. John and Amy digging into Julia's pasta!
Of course wine and beer were only after we were securely anchored or in port. While out at sea it was Coca Cola Classic to keep our stomachs settled.
John back after more of Julia's pasta!
Oh, yes, and LOTS and LOTS of coffee. We consumed GALLONS of coffee. Here are Jake and David digging in the reefer for the creamer.
Amy and David laughing at one of John Connolly's sea stories, no doubt.
Half Moon Bay. Here is a salmon fishing boat that has no work this season thanks to the fishing ban. Very sad.
Amy passing up course recommendations to the helmsman as Jacob navigates us into port.
Coastal navigation was an big part of our learning process on the cruise, and we all learned a great deal. Particularly going into Half Moon Bay and Monterey at NIGHT!
A crowded harbor in Monterey. This is as we left on our way back out to sea and back to San Francisco.
This was MY stopper knot that I tied under John's instruction the night we anchored in Angel Cove in San Francisco Bay. The wind blew some 25-30 knots that night! I was glad my knot held!!! 
As we finished up the week of cruising and learning everyone was getting a wee bit worn out. Here Julia and Jacob appear to be catching a few winks in the sun.
Dave holds on to Amy as we "snatch a buoy" in Sausalito.
I noticed that on our last day as we re-entered San Francisco Bay and were doing some awesome sailing in great winds in Racoon Staits that we all had became critics of the sail trim on other boats sailing nearby. Well, after all, we were now all qualified experts! 
OK, here is something else John taught us. How to use a conch shell as a fog horn! This takes some skill.
Dr. David (PhD) learning learning the new "practical factor" for natural foghorn.
What would a photo journal of sailing at sea be without a sunset picture? This one is treasurered as MOST of the time all we saw was FOG!
Click here for pictures of our first sailing lessons with Suzette Smith
OR Click here for the story of Adventure Sailing South Polynesia