BACK HOME IN DC ON THE POTOMAC.

My sister, her kids and I would often go places on weekends; museums, art galleries - Washington is rich with free cultural places to visit. One weekend she said her boss sails little boats down on the river and invited her to come down and watch them sail. Well this weekend, we went to watch the little boats sail.

The Washington Sailing Marina is a National Park Site situated on the Potomac River at the end of one of the runways at National Airport. There is a building with rest rooms, a restaurant, and room for equipment. The marina has docking facilities for large boats, storage racks for small boats and spaces for boats on trailers. There are no power boats, they have their own marina up the river.

These little boats my sister's boss and his family sail are called "Toros". They are 8 foot prams with a mast at the forward end of the boat and only one sail.

Each member of the family has his or her own boat and they sail in competition with each other. Children competing against the adults. They day we went down to watch them was a wonderful day, and the kids and adults were having so much fun, I got carried away and ordered one of the boats from my sister's boss, who was also a dealer.

Within a week, I had me a sailboat!

I had a volkswagon Bug and they tied the boat onto a boat rack attached to the top of the car and I was about to start a whole new beginning to my life.

I got a book on sailing and took the boat down to the river, got in and started sailing. I will never forget the first day. I thought I understood the principles of sailing, the direction of wind etc. etc. So I took off in the utmost confidence, UNTIL- - it was time to come back to the floating dock where I took off. I suddenly realized, I didn't know how to stop the boat. I had the wind taking me in the direction I wanted to go, but as the dock kept getting closer and closer, I didn't know how to stop the boat. And I didn't stop the boat. I sailed it right up onto the dock and got caught by one of the fleet members.

After that I slowed down on the confidence and listened to others out on the water and the first thing I learned how to do was STOP.

One thing led to another. The fleet of Toros arranged to go to Seattle Washington for a National meet. We went all around for races, but this was all the way across the country.

I had got my sister's two boys interested in sailing and bought another Toro so more than one could sail. I convinced my sister to go to Seattle with the boys and me. Andy was the oldest son and had a small English Ford and we piled in with our gear and my dog; Winky, a golden Cocker Spaniel. The boats went on a special trailer made up by one of the fleet members that could carry 8 boats. TO SEATTLE AND BACK - FOR A RACE !!!

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