5 Lessons from Messing About in Boats

Last week, I had a fun chat with the collections and exhibit manager at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum. Her goal was an oral history that will be added to an exhibit about the history of sailing on Cape Cod; my goal was to finalize a talk I’ll be giving at the museum on April 3rd. Somewhere along the way, it turned into a fun reminder of some childhood lessons that helped turn me into the sailor and human I am today.

1. Don’t cut it too close

I don’t really remember learning to sail; it was just something my siblings and I absorbed as soon as we were physically ready to do so. Most lessons about boathandling and maintenance came from my dad, but I do remember once steering the family’s skiff (with its recently added outboard) across the bow of another moving boat—and my only passenger (Mom) instructing me not to cut anyone off like that, ever again. 

2. Crossing or ducking? It matters

The summer I was 10, Bobby Bigelow introduced me to one-design sailing—and I crewed (and later skippered) his Cape Cod Knockabout throughout my teens. Maybe it wasn’t on my very first Knockabout race, but that first summer there was an early lightbulb moment: Bobby pointed to a competitor forced to duck our stern, explaining that we had gained on them since the last time we ducked them. It was my first conscious lesson in the tactics of racing small boats.

3. Get better as a team

Bobby didn’t actively teach; he just casually shared his decisions with a fairly constant running commentary. After racing, we’d often discuss situations that were unclear at the time; the focus didn’t seem to be on teaching me (the youngster), but on all of us learning to do better together. 

4. Cooperative competition

Any time there was conflict on the race course, Bobby would approach the other skipper afterward to talk it through. 50 years later, that’s still part of my post-race habits.

5. Let them learn

Now that I’ve watched others grow up within the Snipe family, I understand just how much patience my early mentors must’ve had. But letting me make my own mistakes taught me better than any upfront warnings would’ve done—another lesson in itself. 

Being asked for an oral history makes me feel old—but it also was a very fun excuse to relive several wonderful childhood memories. Got your own memories from growing up sailing on Cape Cod? Share them in the comments below, and maybe I’ll incorporate them into next week’s presentation. Thanks for reading!

PS If you want to join the History on Tap fun at the museum next week, here’s how to register.