I worked on (gently) convincing Otis to try sailing lessons for more than a year before he finally agreed to let me sign him up. I knew he would love it, but it took some coaxing. We joined a little boat club in York and got him into the beginner group.

When the first day rolled around, I dropped him off and then set up office with my laptop in a park nearby. They didn’t actually go out for the first few days due to weather, but then I spotted the gang getting towed out of the harbor!

Here they are a little further out:

And all the way!

Out in the open ocean! They don’t mess around in Maine!

After I saw them getting towed in a few hours later, I walked over to meet the kid at the dock. They were just coming in:

Another parent and I waited on the upper dock and documented the whole thing:

They run a tight ship(s) down there!

By the end of the session, Otis was asking me how to become a sailing instructor. I cried several times.