Page 46 - SLO Visitors Guide - Spring 2022
P. 46

Morro Bay
Harnessing the wind in Morro Bay
 If there’s one thing you can count on in springtime on the Central Coast, it’s the wind. You can thank the wind for the opportunities to sail, windsurf, fly a kite or find a comfortable place to watch others brave the wind and water.
Sailing
Out of the abundance of boats in the Morro Bay harbor, the sail- boat is thought of as the most ad- venturous. Sailing is popular on the Central Coast and the Morro Bay Yacht Club invites aspiring sailors to take their Novice and Practical sailing classes.
The Novice class is for those with little to no sailing experience. Beginners learn the parts of the sailboat, the language of sailing, how to rig and unrig a sailboat, ba- sic sailing maneuvers and the rules of sailing. There is some on-water learning included.
Practical lessons are on the
water in a sailboat where each student functions as crew, skipper, and observer. Everything learned in Novice class is used here.
The sailing classes were on a temporary hold but are expected to resume very soon. Check the yacht club website, mbyc.net, for the schedule.
Advice from a sailor
Jessica Weiss purchased a sailboat, docked it in the harbor, fixed it up and then took her first sailing lesson. “It was my first time sailing and I felt pretty safe as I was going with an experienced sailor,” she said, “and I had taken a boating safety course.” Weiss sailed on the boat “Rosie” with her former high school Spanish teacher, Dennis Bailey.
“One important
thing you might learn
from a sailing course,”
said Weiss, “is that
the boat is not going
to overturn in the
waves. It does lean,
though and might feel somewhat like being
on a roller coaster.”
Even when the wind
is mild, Weiss advises
that anti-nausea medication is a good idea.
Some vessels have an actual wheel to turn the boat and some use a tiller. Weiss said that it’s easier to work the tiller if the sails aren’t too tight. “The tiller moves the boat
opposite to what you are used to. Pulling it left makes the boat go to the right and vice versa,” said Weiss. “I learned that you have more control of the boat going against the current because you won’t be pushed too fast and can course cor- rect easier.”
Other surprising things Weiss learned were that measuring dis- tance at sea is difficult as everything either looks really far away or too close and that the wind is quite hectic in the channel by Morro Rock. “The wind changes direction constantly,” she explained. “It was challenging to get anywhere in that wind and current without using the engine.”
Take a sailing tour
You don’t have to take a course to experience sailing. Maya Sailing Adventures at 1213 Embarcadero offers whale watching, harbor tours and sailing lessons. For more infor- mation visit mayasailingadventures. com or call (805) 459-4665.
More fun with the wind
Morro Bay is considered one of the best locations on the coast for both windsurfing and kiteboarding. When the winds come up, watching the windsurfers and kiteboarders skimming and jumping over the water is an activity of its own.
Windsurfers often take advan- tage of calmer water by choosing to
go to Windy Cove, the beach just below the Natural History Mu- seum in Morro Bay State Park. Windsurf- ing, also an Olympic sport, combines surf- ing and sailing. The equipment includes a surfboard with rudder and a sail similar to a sailboat.
Kiteboarding is considered an extreme sport and
combines the actions of paragliding, surfing, and skateboarding. The kites look like large round hoops in the air held by 66-foot flying lines, a har- ness, and a control bar.
- Ruth Ann Angus
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  333 Morro Bay Blvd., Morro Bay, CA
805.772.3338 morrobaybeads.com
    46
SPRING 2022
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