May 2026 Member Newsletter

May 2026 PROMOTING PERSONAL FREEDOM THROUGH POSITIVE SELF EMPOWERMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY  BY PROVIDING EASY AFFORDABLE ACCESS  TO THE WORLD OF SAILING Reflections "The Storm on the Sea of Galilee" — Rembrandt van Rijn, 1633 Current location: Unknown — stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston on March 18, 1990, in what remains the largest art theft in history. It has not been recovered. I've seen a few gales: some "dirty weather" so to speak, through the years. Blows exceeding 50Kts on a 100 ton fishing vessel and a direct hit by a williwaw; 16 to 18 foot seas with a 7 second interval in a small 36' catamaran with 45+Kt winds lasting 55 minutes... in those moments there's no discussion of "what's real and what isn't" going on at that point. The boat is no longer a pleasant symbol of freedom or adventure - it's a living, struggling thing telling you the absolute truth about itself - and about you. A boat, when beset by nature at that level of fury, makes fully known its complete indifference to what you might prefer to hear.  One doesn't "perform" their way through a gale - either you know what to do or you figure it out really quickly - or you don't. If you don't stay present to and with what is actually happening, the boat is going to tell you in no uncertain terms - and it will be in terms you will not forget...  What offshore experience teaches, and what the Mighty Columbia reinforces in a quieter but equally honest way, is that authenticity isn't a philosophical position - no, it is in fact a practical requirement. A sailor who cannot be honest: about conditions; about their own limitations; about what the boat is telling them; about what their crew needs to hear, is not just a poor "sailor". They are a liability that I would hesitate even to use the word "sailor" to describe.  It occurs to me a lot these days that that kind of clarity is rare. The gap in that pass between what is said and what is true is big enough to sail a 70 footer through. I'm pretty sure a lot of us feel this and see this. At Island Sailing we believe sailors likely feel this more acutely than most - because we have a reference point; we do our nav work; we double and triple check where we are before plotting our course to the next way point. As you progress in being a sailor, you will start to know what reality looks and feels like, especially since it has no interest in flattering us.  This month, on lunch during a class, one of our instructors picked up a book that was laying around the club and discovered the history of a sailor who lived three hundred years ago — someone who understood all of this long before any of us were aboard. I'll let her tell it as you'll see in her article below in our semanship, sailing, and leadership section. Our Monthly Focus  May has set in and with it some lovely weather at the club. We've already had some days above 70, some beautiful 10-15mph evening breezes from the NW, and many members coming on out and sailing. Many of the floating resturants have opened up for the summer season including The Island Cafe, Sabor del Rio, and The Deck. Be sure to stop by and check them out! This month we welcome a few more new boats to the fleet! Viva las Vegas and Katana, two late 80s J24s are welcomed to the fleet. They are fast, have great rigging and bottom paints, and ready to bring the performence program to the next level this summer.  Viva Las Vegas even came with a tape deck and speakers! Katana recently raced in the 2024 world J-24 championship as well! We also added a pretty amazing Newport 30 to the fleet as well. We're still diling her up to standard, so keep an eye out in the next couple weeks once we get her ship shape! Notes About Your Fleet! Some Spring Upgrades for the Fleet! This month at Island Sailing brought some spring upgrades to the fleet! Honu Moku, our newest Catalina 22 of the fleet received a larger Genoa, making her great for those light wind days. #40, one of our class boats got a new head sail, and Circe, our Cal 25 flattop has a both a brand new main and head sail! Not to mention a teak refresh by Cole on the winch risers and companionway rails, a rebuilt traveler, new Halyard and outhaul! Cole has also been a waxing machine, getting especially Leucothea diled up, and shining some love on the J-24's, kicking it off with Flamingo and is going to be making his way through the fleet this month. J-Netically Altered and Straight Shot also returned home to the fleet with a new bottom paint as well. They're going to be faster than ever! Seasonal Sailing Tips The summer pattern is beginning to show it's colors on the Columbia, with a morning north-westerlies, and an evening breeze building across the afternoon. However, spring in Portland is still rearing it's head! Keep an eye on the weather forcasts and an eye out for unpredicitable squalls building from the south west.  When you see those long, low "tubes" that generally run north and south and are dark on the bottom - watch out! The lower they are to the earth (sometimes they will even obscure the west hills) the stronger they will be - and if they are a solid line along the bottom - they will pack a punch. If they are jagged and broken up a bit along the bottom, they are either dumping energy, but they could also be gaining energy. Don't turn your back on them - always keep an eye on them to see if they are gaining or dumping energy... The key is reefing and knowing when to reef. Before setting out, familiarize yourself with the reefing system on that boat and consider reefing at the dock if strong winds are expected. Remember, it's easier to take a reef out than to put one in when it's really blowing!  Don't hesitate to hit us up at the club for a quick at the dock refresher - we're always happy to help. Understanding Line Squalls Always Check the Weather! Pro Tip! Click on the 3-day History on the right hand side of NOAA's PDX to see the current wind conditions at the airport!  Seamanship, Sailing, and Leadership What a Female Pirate from 1721 Taught Me About Sailing and Leadership By Berry Kruijning, USCG Licensed Captain and ASA Certified ISC Instructor Between lessons last month, I picked up a book sitting on the coffee table here at the club — Seafaring Women. Tucked between a tide chart and an old cruising guide, it had clearly been there a while. I almost put it back. I'm glad I didn't. In the chapter on women pirates, I came across Mary Read: a young woman who sailed, fought, and died during the Golden Age of Caribbean piracy in the early 1700s. As one historian puts it, her life "straddles myth, legend and reality." She was only in her early 30s when she died — but she had lived boldly, and she had sailed hard. Her story stopped me. Not just as a sailor, but as an instructor who spends a lot of time thinking about what separates the people who grow on the water from the ones who stall. Who was Mary Read?  Mary was raised as a boy in the early 1700’s by her single mother to secure family income. She served as a soldier in Europe, married a fellow soldier, and after his death, eventually drifted into piracy in the Caribbean. We know her story because she was captured, tried, and her account was written down in 1724. What we know for certain: she was decisive under pressure, had zero tolerance for hesitation, stepped forward when others stepped back, and used both strategy and nerve — not just bravado. Sound like anyone you'd want as crew? Lesson 1: Leadership shows up in squalls, not sunshine When her ship was captured, most of the crew (including the Captain) disappeared below deck. Mary didn't. She kept fighting, alongside one other woman. (!) Any experienced sailor knows this pattern. It's not how someone handles a flat-water beam reach that tells you who they are. It's what happens when the squall builds faster than expected, a gybe goes wrong, or someone freezes at the helm. That's when you find out. As instructors, we see it constantly — the student who stays calm and focused when everything goes sideways is the one who becomes a confident sailor. Presence under pressure isn't a personality type. It's a skill, and it's trainable. Lesson 2: Unclear communication is its own kind of danger Mary didn't ignore the crew hiding below. She called them out — directly. On a boat, vague or quiet communication costs you. "Maybe ease the sheet a little" in a building breeze isn't a sailing instruction — it's a wish. Muddled hand signals, unspoken concerns about weather, crew tension that nobody names — these are the modern equivalent of hiding below deck. Small ambiguities compound fast when conditions deteriorate. What Mary modeled was a refusal to let avoidance define the situation. On the water, that means saying what you see, when you see it, in your boat voice (which is not yelling). Lesson 3: Act before you're certain — because you never will be  Mary didn't gather more opinions. She didn't wait for perfect timing. She acted. Every sailor knows the moment I'm describing: the wind is shifting, the sky is doing something you don't love, and you're running the calculations. At some point, analysis has to become a decision, such as setting a reef early. The boat and the weather don’t wait. The sailors who grow fastest are rarely the ones who know the most. They're the ones who act on what they know, adjust when they're wrong, and keep moving. Lesson 4: Good crew looks out for each other  At one point in the story, Mary steps into a duel to protect someone else. She doesn't just look out for herself. The best crews I've sailed with operate the same way. Someone notices the foredeck hand is overwhelmed and moves up without being asked. Someone speaks up when a crewmate is being pushed past their limit. Sailing well together isn't just about boat handling — it's about watching out for the people around you. That instinct — to advocate for others, not just yourself — is one of the most underrated qualities in a sailor and a leader. Lesson 5: Match the energy of the moment Mary was known to swear, challenge, and provoke. I'm not suggesting you do the same out on the water 😄 — but the insight underneath is real. She read the situation and matched its intensity. Calm is a tremendous asset on a boat. But there's a difference between calm and flat. When conditions demand urgency, your crew needs to feel it in how you communicate — not just in what you say, but in the pace, the directness, the weight behind it. A skipper who sounds the same in a crisis as on a sunny day is missing something. Presence on deck isn't just what you say. It's the energy behind it. Lesson 6: Respect matters more than approval Mary risked upsetting people. She risked being seen as harsh. She went against the group. Skippers face this too. Turning the boat around when the crew wants to push on. Saying "not today" when conditions aren't right. Telling a student something they need to hear but don't want to. These moments are uncomfortable — and they're exactly when good leadership matters most. Choosing clarity over comfort is about being trustworthy and kind. Lesson 7: Presence is built through consistency  Across every account of Mary Read, one thing is constant: she showed up the same way, every time. Bold, direct, action-oriented. That consistency is how a reputation is built. On the water, your crew builds a picture of who you are — not from a single moment, but from the pattern of how you show up over time. Are you the person who stays present when it gets hard? Who communicates clearly when it matters? Who acts when the moment calls for it? That's how trust is built, passage by passage. A closing thought Mary Read was eventually sentenced to death — but "pleaded the belly." She was pregnant, and execution was postponed. She died of fever in prison in 1721, after a short but remarkable life at sea. She never commanded a tall ship or held a captain's ticket. But in the accounts of those who sailed with her, she was someone people followed when it counted. Out here at the club, that's what we're really teaching — whether we're working on sail trim, weather reading, or how to skipper a nervous crew through their first overnight passage. The boat handling is the vehicle. Learning to show up under pressure is the destination. See you on the water. Berry Kruijning is a USCG Licensed Captain, ASA Sailing Instructor (from basic keelboat sailing to bareboat charter), and Leadership Development Coach. She first stepped on a sailboat at age 7 and by age 14 embarked on her first of many sailing trips offshore to Norway, before eventually finding her home waters on the Mighty Columbia. She has raced and cruised for the past 25+ years. Currently she teaches at Island Sailing Club and works with leaders who want more confidence and impact, on and off the water. At Island Sailing we consider ourselves very fortunate to have Berry as one of our top instructors and as a part of our community. To learn more about her and the amazing work she does be sure to click here! Thank you Berry for the excellent article! We hope you write some more for Island Sailing in future newsletters! For those of you interested in the book Berry is referencing: De Pauw, Linda Grant. Seafaring Women. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1982. ISBN 978-0395324349. Our Community  This month we just had our first cruising group sail and pizza soiree on the 16th! It was a little rainy, but folks got out and took to the river for the first of the summer season. We will have another evening sail on May 20th, and a full day sail to either Camas-Washougal or Government Island on May 31st. Looking to meet fellow members? Explore further destinations with support? These cruising events are a great way to do so! Sign up for future emails by clicking the button below, or give our Cruising Commodore an email to sign up for one of the events at  ISC.Cruising.Commodore@gmail.com Join the Community Cruising Group Upcoming Cruising Group Events   May 20th, Wednesday - Community Sail - Sign up form - 05/20/26 (deadline end of day 05/18/26) Departing between 17:30 and 18:00 and returning by 20:25 May 31st, Sunday - Day Sail - Sign up form - 05/31/26 (deadline end of day 05/29/26) Arrive at docks 17:00, Skippers meeting 20:40, Departing at 21:00 Estimated return by 17:00 Destination: Port of Camas-Washougal or the east dock at Government Island (depends on the wind) June 3rd, Wednesday - Community Sail - Sign up form - 06/03/26 (deadline end of day 06/01/26) Departing between 17:30 and 18:00 and returning by 20:40 June 5th, Friday to June 7th, Sunday - Columbia River Ladies Cruise (Two Nights) - Sign up form - 06/05/26 (deadline end of day 06/02/26) This year is the 40th annual Columbia River Ladies Cruise to be held at Bartlett Landing on Government Island and ISC women are invited to participate as a Community Sailing Group event!  The theme this year is The Greatest Show Afloat. The event is open to all women boaters, both power and sail, so it’s a great opportunity to meet other like minded women in the area. Last year we had a few boats leave Friday afternoon and one leave Saturday morning so there is some flexibility for departure. Please sign up if you are interested and we will work towards putting some boats together. If you have been thinking about skippering a boat for an overnight, this is a great opportunity with great support from other women! The Most Popular Boat this Month! This month we had some lovely sailing conditions! The summer pattern is beginning to settle in and the warm weather was taking hold for a while. This month these were the top 5 reserved boats in the fleet - excluding class boats! #44 Aurora #43 #31 Rhythm #67 Honu Moku We had a total of 173 reservations this past month - pretty amazing! Looking for fellow members to go out sailing? Our forum is a great way to find them! Check it out to join the online community! Join the Online Member Forum! Rounding the Next Mark Upcoming Performance Races  Our summer racing season is fully underway and is growing! To get started racing, come on down for a Monday night. Check out the button below  to be invited to our RSVP site. It's a great community and will get you versed on racing, to then leap into our SYSCO Thursday night series for an additional challenge. May 18th, Monday: Island Sailing Performance Racing - Rigging begins around 1700, first race at 1800. RSVP before noon on Sunday May 21st, Thursday: Spring Thursday Evening Series  - First race at 1830 May 25th, Monday: Island Sailing Performance Racing - Rigging begins around 1700, first race at 1800. RSVP before noon on Sunday May 28th, Thursday: All Sailors BBQ - Portland Yacht Club Check out the full list of upcoming races on Team Cowboy Join our Performence Crews Learn More As the horizon draws near... When you've been through a serious storm or gale and it's "layed down" (referring to the sea state) and you've gotten yourself a fresh cup of coffee (or adult beverage if your back at the dock...) - there's like a certain quiet that follows. Sure, there's some relief, but really its more like clarity. You know the other crew on the boat better and in a way that just doesn't happen on land or in mellow conditions. You know what they're made of, and they know what your made of. In a way, the gale writes it's own account of "who" was there. When you think about Berry's aritcle, Mary Read didn't become someone worth following because she held a title or commanded a platform or spoke the loudest. She became someone worth following because who she was and what she did occupied exactly the same space — in the worst possible conditions, with everything on the line. That alignment, under pressure and without flinching — that is authenticity in a super clear form. At Island Sailing we think about that. Not in the abstract but practically: in how we teach; in how we lead; and in what we ask of ourselves and of each other. We strive to be honest with our crew, our students, our members, and ourselves - regardless of what pressures we are under in any given moment. This is, like all of our values, not just something we hang in the corner and let get dusty or just bring out for newsletters - its an operating standard. As the experience of being offshore will eventually hold you to this standard, we continue to hold ourselves to this when we're back on shore. Where you choose to belong really matters. These days it seems as though places that are what they say they are - genuinely, consistently, without a gap between stated values and those lived values - are rarer than they should be. I think most of us feel that, and at Island Sailing we feel it as well.    Truth; respect; inclusivity that doesn't make exceptions based on who's watching; and service to one another that's free of ego and agenda - that is what the community we, and that includes all of you, is built on here at Island Sailing. It will remain so as well because as sailors - we know what the alternative costs. The season is here. The summer winds are starting to show up at times - let's go sailing...        — Stephen Explore More - Learn More - Sail More And See Our Weather Links and - Check Out Our Youtube Channel! (Links on the bottom of our website) Explore Follow Us On Facebook Instagram Youtube You are receiving this email as you signed up for our newsletters. Want to change how you receive these emails? You can Unsubscribe or Update your preferences