| Home |
| About the Sailor |
| Instructional Sail |
| Testimonials |
| Past Sailing Seasons |
| Links |
| Contact me |
SAILING LESSONS FOR THE NAUTICALLY CHALLENGED
by Kathy Passmore
Richard Mansfield feels sorry for wives on boats.
“They get yelled at the most,” he said. “Her husband has never told her what a spring line is, and wants her to tie one.”
His company, Sailor for Hire, offers a solution. For boaters afraid to leave the dock, or those upgrading to a larger vessel, Mr. Mansfield comes aboard and teaches everything there is to know about the vessel – keeping a ship log, boat maintenance, having life jackets visible and keeping a day pouch on board to handle emergencies.
“Yacht brokers sell dreams,” Mr. Mansfield said. “Sailor for Hire helps the dream come true.”
Sailor for Hire sessions last from six to eight hours and cost $300 per day. The first half of the session is instructional and spent tied to the dock. The last part is spent on the water. The Chesapeake Beach resident sets up trouble-shooting scenarios while under way and coaches clients through them.
“When something goes wrong, take a deep breath, assess the situation and make a correction,” he said. “You never want to be dead in the water.”
Mr. Mansfield grew up in New England, the son of a lobster fisherman, and has been around boats all of his life. He spent 10 years under the tutelage of retired Navy Capt. George Gould III, sailing with him from Bermuda to Nova Scotia.“ I respect and take my hat off to George,” Mr. Mansfield said. “He is still my best friend.”
Mr. Mansfield spent two years as a first mate on a private yacht sailing between Georgia and Maine, and another two years as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. While on his sailing adventures, he noticed a need for training boat owners in basic skills such as tying knots, docking safely and navigating rough seas. He began offering his “Sailor for Hire” services five years ago.
“I don’t like to be called captain. All the captains I know are grumpy,” he said. “I like to be called Rich.”
Len Valenti of Gaithersburg, who owns a 39-foot Mainship trawler, found Sailor for Hire’s Web site while looking for boating lessons for his son.
“Rich is patient, meticulous, articulate, cordial and knowledgeable. He points out stuff you wouldn’t pick up on,” Mr. Valenti said. “We spent the entire day going over maintenance, ropes, instruments, sailing, docking, fueling and anchoring.”
The average number of sessions is two, usually involving a husband-and-wife team. The first two questions Mr. Mansfield asks are “What do you hope to accomplish today?” and “What do you intend to do with the boat?”
He constructs his lesson plan based on the answers. Some people are interested in day trips; others want to cruise the Chesapeake and beyond. He tells clients, “We don’t care about the real world right now. All we care about is our world – our 36 feet of world.” He instructs the couple together in the first lesson, and then has a session alone with the wife.
Ron and Rosie Gollehon of Edgewater own a 30-foot S2 Center Cockpit and hired Mr. Mansfield in June for a lesson. “We wanted to have more practice and instruction when the boat was under power because it’s more difficult,” Mrs. Gollehon said. “(Mr. Mansfield) was courteous, respectful and very knowledgeable about our boat. He told us about the engine, and took us out for practice with rigging and tying up.”
Sailor for Hire also offers Phase II instruction and includes advanced sailing techniques, preparing for storms, and how to get into shelter.
Mr. Mansfield says boat owners’ most common mistake is that they “don’t take time to understand capabilities of their boat.”
He recalls one of his most memorable clients: a boater who owned a Catalina Mark III for two years and never moved it. “I was full of joy seeing him confident behind the helm,” he said.
Sailor for Hire can be reached at 410-257-2171 or through http://www.sailorforhire.com