Just finished my 4-week intro to sailing course–and I got my certificate! I was kind of surprised, because when I capsized the boat I wasn’t able to get back into it, so I thought I failed. Sailing was a lot of fun, if scary. However, it was also a good form of research for my pirate novel. Library books or trips to Amsterdam’s Museum of Maritime History and simply riding on a sailing ship as a passenger are all helpful, but to sail my own craft–that was great.
by Susan Forest