I was recently interviewed by Grand Xplorer Magazine.
Unless you're into sailing, you may only know her from the Grand Xplorer magazine. The column 'She Talks Like A Sailor' is written by Captain Debbie Graham. Debbie has gone from non-sailor to a licensed USCG Captain, from self taught novice to award winning ASA instructor and from weekend sailor to entrepreneur. She's appeared on the Discover Oklahoma Travel Show and been a guest speaker at local boating events. Debbie has also written for the American Sailing Association Instructor's newsletter Bearings. I met Debbie just after she opened Island Fever Sailing School in 2003. Going into the school's 5th year, her plans are just as ambitious as they were in the beginning. What I find intriguing is how she got here. So let's sail back through time to Febuary 1996 when she purchased her first sailboat at Cedar Port Marina here on Grand Lake.
Have you always been a sailor?
No, until I bought my first boat, I'd never been around the water at all. In the summer of 1994 while on vacation in the Florida Keys, I fell in love with the idea of sailing. I didn't know how to sail, couldn't swim and was afraid of the water. But, I was at a point in my life where I wasn't going to let fear or lack of knowledge keep me from doing what I wanted to do and I wanted very much to sail!
How did you learn to sail?
I bought an old boat and taught myself. It was a 1974 27' Coronado. At the time, just hanging out in the marina was a whole new experience to me. It was so exciting! I had divorced a couple years earlier and was really into this big 'life is what you make it' kind of thing. For the first time in my life, I felt I truly had something to call my own. Until I made friends in the marina, I was the only person I knew who had a sailboat. At first, I was content to just work on my boat and it really needed fixing up. As I made repairs and replaced rigging, my knowledge of the boat expanded. After I learned the quirks of my old outboard, I would motor about and practice docking. All these little accomplishments and new found knowledge were very empowering. Finally, it was time to take the sail covers off. I motored out to the middle of the lake, cut the engine and hoisted the mainsail. It was scary and I mean crazy scary to me then, but, I am so glad I didn't give into the fear, because, right after the stressful moments are the 'Wow, I did it' moments. It was great!
What size boats do you teach on?
Basic Keelboat is taught on 'Tiki', my 27' Helms. She is the perfect classroom boat for students. She is stable in strong wind and is very forgiving of the newbies. She's never said 'I told you so' to me, even when she could have. The lievaboard classes are taught on ' Sea Bella' my 34 footer. Sea Bella is cozy and warm with teakwood. She's not quite rambunctious as her wild, free-spirited little sister 'Tiki', but Sea Bella is absolutely enchanting.
How did you become a sailing instructor?
Even though I had been sailing for years, I'd often sailed by myself or with nonsailors. Getting certified as an ASA ( American Sailing Association) Instructor was a way to accurately measure my own sailing skills. To become an instructor, you attend an 'Instructor Qualification Clinic' (IQC). You're tested on knowledge, sailing and teaching abilities. The Instructor Clinics were held in Keemah, Texas. That's when I first met Captain Jack Dyess. He was my Instructor Evaluator through all my ASA Instructor Certifications: Basic Keelboat, Coastal Cruising, Coastal Navigation, Bareboat Charter and Advanced Coastal. The IQC's meant a lot of studying and testing that took up all my spare time for about 2-3 years. On-the-water drills were held in Glaveston Bay. These consisted of navigating through heavy boat traffic, rules of the road, in-depth sailing demonstrations, emergency procedures, weather related topics and various COB (crew overboard) recovery methods. These clinics were tough. I had to be tougher because I was the only woman with 8-10 men from various sailing backgrounds. I worked hard to be there and wanted to be respected for my knowledge and skills. The IQC's were challenging and the pride of accomplishment was great, but soon I wanted to do more. The next step was to get my Captains License which I did 4 years ago.
A USCG Captains License, what exactly is that?
Both the OUPV and Master Mariner Licenses are issued by the United States Coast Guard. The OUPV (operator of uninspected vessel) is also known as the six-pack license. It's limited to carrying a maximum of six passengers. With the Master license, the number of passengers is limited only by the size of the boat, which my rating is 50 Gross Ton (power of sail). I also hold a sailing Endorsement and a Towing Endorsement. The requirements for the Master License is 360 service days on water, including 90 of those days in the past 3 years and on the appropriate tonnage of vessel. I tested on Chart Navigation. Navigation General, Deck General, Dock Safety, Environmental Safety and Rules of the Road. I learned about the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs). I studied case histories of boating accidents, with regard to negligence, failure to comply with safety regulations, error in judgments and equipment malfunction. I researched the mega volumes of CFRs to determine which ones applied and why. Whew, I loved it! The training was very intense and I hold my Master License in high regard.
What's the best part about teaching sailing?
Hmmm...... Let me think about that.....people pay me to go sailing with them. That is pretty fantastic, but I really do enjoy the people. I remember what it was like to be so hungry for that knowledge. It's very rewarding to participate in the transformation of student to sailor. Every class is different, but one constant is that at the end of the class, everyone's changed a bit. They took a chance, learned something new, spent a weekend on the water away from their normal routine and perhaps out of their comfort zones. They didn't just learn to sail. They acted on a dream. They said 'yes' to adventure and to a whole new way of life!
Do you have a favorite people story?
A couple had scheduled a private Basic Keelboat Class, Mark and Lisa. It was our first day on the water and I put Lisa at the helm. I usually let the girls go first because Island Fever is 'Where the girls are called Skipper; it says so on the T-shirt. It was a bit windy and while trying to understand the tiller (right goes left and left goes right) Lisa got overwhelmed. All of a sudden, she just screams and throws up her hands letting go of the tiller, causing us to quickly round up into the wind which can be very intimidating. We laughed so much over that. Now, I see them out sailing their fabulous 36' Hunter and Lisa is a very confident skipper. I love seeing my previous students while I have a boatload of new students. They see real people sailing on real boats and I get to say, "hey, there's Mark and Lisa. I taught them to sail last year!" I love that.
Where are your favorite places to sail?
I don't mean to sound vague, but wherever I am, that is my favorite place to sail. The sailing is absolutely fantastic in my own backyard here at Grand Lake. Gusty and shifting winds combined withe the various land forms offer many opportunities to hone your skills. Grand Lake has made sailing accessible to me, but it's more than that. It's the hills and the trees, the wind and water, the sun and sky. It's the everyday kind of sailing I get from Grand Lake that gives me the courage to sail other places, but there's no place like home. The first time I chartered a boat in 1999 was in the British Virgin Islands. It was a bareboat charter, which means you rent the boat without hiring a captain. We rented a 38' sailboat. For 10 days we island hopped through the blue-est water I'd ever seen. With secluded, white sandy beaches and moderate temperatures, it was more spectacular than the brochures promised. It was an impressive introduction to sailing for my new non-sailing husband and my favorite place for a honeymoon. When i was studying for Advanced Coastal Instructor, I navigated through the Houston Shipping Channel at night. I was surrounded by huge ships, tankers, and barges and had to identify them all by the lights they were displaying. If you're in the shipping channel, you better know what you are doing. As I scanned the dark seascape for navigation lights, my eyes burned from the strain and the sea air, but that was my favorite place to sail for that experience.
What was your best sailing day?
I read an article about a sailing celebrity and he was asked that very question and his response was ' I haven't had it yet'; I knew exactly what he meant. I've had fabulous sailing days, too many to count, but just when I think that was the best sailing day and it can't get any better, another day comes along that's even better for different reasons.
What size boat would you recommend for a new sailor?
'As big as you can afford! You won't regret it.' Advice given to me from Roy Adams, dockmaster at Scotty's Cove Sailboat Marina. With that, I spent a lot of money and bought Sea Bella, my 34 footer. He was right, I don't regret it!If you had it to do over again, what would you do differently? Sailing has changed my life. Even with the clarity of hindsight, I really can't think of anything I'd change. All those bumps and bruises were part of my education. When I bought that first boat all those years ago, I found what I didn't know I was searching for. I wanted adventure. I found depth and meaning. Sailing will enrich your life in ways you can't begin to imagine. It can take you far away from everything and bring you closer to where you really want to be....
Sea ya on the water!
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