Sue Bell of the Parklawn Sailing Association (PSA) calls Galesville, MD, her home port. She sails PSA's three club boats: the Catalina 34 Pisces, Hunter 34 Voyager, and Express 30 Vivace. She took some time from her busy spring sailing schedule to share some thoughts with SpinSheet.
How did you get into sailing?
I started sailing at a Girl Scout camp. I owned my own two-person “get wet on a lake” boat in my 20s. I’d tried “big boat” sailing in Galveston Bay but was not particularly enthused. I moved to the Washington, DC, area in the mid-1990s and was hooked after an introductory sail at a PSA open boat event. After a spring overnight to the Wye River, I became a devoted Chesapeake Bay cruiser for weekends and an annual week or two getaway vacation.
What’s the best part about being in a cruising club?
The affordability and the network of friends. I often say that I share the cost, the work, and the fun of three boats with 60 friends.
Have you held an office within the club?
I’ve played many roles in PSA, having been on the board as secretary, but the work I’ve enjoyed most was working as part of the fleet command. I was assistant bosun for the first year after acquisition of each of the boats currently in the fleet. Fleet work gave me experience with the boat systems, which bolstered my confidence as a skipper.
Do you have a favorite recent memory from a club rendezvous or raftup?
We have an unofficial group within PSA that we call the Windlasses. Our goal is to get more of our lady members on the water and prepared to qualify to skipper. My favorite memory is having two boats sail from Galesville to St Michaels for a ladies-only weekend… a wonderful getaway.
Can you tell us about one interesting person you met through sailing?
My PSA mentor has been Janet Goldberg. As skipper, Janet always kept it cool and fun regardless of the challenge. She was always a teacher and never a yeller.
Anything else you would like to share about your sailing adventures?
With PSA, I sail with people coming from a variety of sailing backgrounds. At every maintenance day and on every sail I learn something new. As with any activity, what you get out of it will be proportional to what you put into it.
