To welcome me to my new job, everyone who interviewed me got together and we went sailing Thursday after work.
I’m certainly feeling welcomed.
Tom Hamilton, our in-house recruiter, organized the event. There are magnificent views of the San Francisco Bay from the Art.com building, so, while I was interviewing, Tom tried to entice me with “If you worked here, just imagine the sailing you could do.” Then when I was considering their offer, he upped the ante with: “Join us and we’ll go sailing.”
True to his word, Tom arranged it with a friend of his, Max Fancher, the C.O.O. of the Olympic Circle Sailing Club (OCSC) and Max's wife. I had taken two sailing certifications at OCSC a few years back, in preparation for earning my Bareboat Chartering certificate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
It was a perfect evening: sunny, breezy, and no fog! With very little traffic on the water, we zipped around to our hearts’ content – everyone having a chance at the wheel. Picniced in the windshadow of Angel Island, cruised through Raccoon Strait, chose to let a giant tanker & tug go ahead of us, enjoyed a mini opera solo by Tom (a striking tenor! who knew!), buzzed Alcatraz, and coasted home in a stunning, multi-colored sunset.
Inspired by that fantastic sail, I went looking for a sailboat on Friday (something I’ve dreamed of since I first took sailing lessons in Maine at age 12). Through the magic of Google and Craigslist, I found what I wanted within 10 minutes. She’s a 27 foot Catalina that sleeps six people. Most importantly, she’s docked just down the street from our offices.
After a test sail Saturday morning, I bought the boat on the spot. We arranged for me to have the same slip in the Emeryville Marina. On Sunday, I christened her with a bottle of Brut Impérial champagne from Moët & Chandon, naming her after my Mother, Mary Jane. On her maiden voyage that afternoon, I called Mom from the middle of the San Francisco Bay to tell her.
And amazingly enough, I can see my boat from my desk. All I have to do is look over my monitors and there she is, just waiting for me. :)
I’m looking forward to a good summer of sailing!
