I thought I died when I went from laughing, to screaming bloody murder, to laughing hysterically at my own screams.

Let me explain. On July 1, I went sailing for the first time out of the Poulsbo Marina with the instructors of the new sailing classes being offered thanks to Poulsbo Parks and Recreation.

Although I had the most fun I have had since moving to Kitsap, I thought I was going to die … twice. You should know that both were my fault and neither led to any injuries except a pretty massive bruise on my knee.

The first occurred when I began to steer the till. At the beginning, I was in charge of the jib, the smaller sail, while my instructor, Will, controlled the till and main sail. We were tacking (that is when the sail moves from one side of the boat to the other into the wind) when I accidentally let go of the till and it swung wild as I expected to plummet in to the water of Liberty Bay.

Luckily, when that happens the dinghy (or boat) slows down, not turning with the wild till. My screams of, “Oh my god I dropped the till,” were in vain as both Will and I laughed at my unwarranted terror.

The second near-death experience came when we were jibing (the same movement but you move through the wind) and I went to switch sides of the boat and fell hard in the small four-foot area of the boat, hence the massive bruise and again, all my fault and we laughed hysterically once more.

I feel like saying all that makes me sound like I didn’t enjoy myself. But like I said, that was one of the most fun days I have had since moving here.

Growing up in Federal Way, sailing classes weren’t offered like youth soccer or basketball. So, naturally, those were the activities I was involved in. I don’t regret it. I played soccer in college after all and loved it, but this was a whole new experience.

All the instructors were helpful and nice, and they really know what they are doing, which is comforting to a newbie like me. Before setting foot on the FJ (or Flying Junior for those of us in the know), I was told all about the rigging, what everything did and how everything worked together to produce smooth sailing.

Lucky for me, it was one of best days to be out on the water. The sun was shining beautifully and the wind was strong, allowing me to really feel like an accomplished sailor. As we sailed around the bay, Will would explain what we were doing and how that impacted the sails so we could pick up speed or slow down enough to jibe smoothly.

I’ve always loved water and have never been afraid to jump straight in or try something new. This came to my advantage because when it’s your first time and you’re sailing at the perfect 45 degrees and the dinghy is tilting at an unnatural angle and you’re told to “fall off” and you have absolutely no idea what that means and you start to sweat, you have to be able to keep your head. For the record, fall off does not mean fall off the boat, it means steer the till toward you.

Yes, I would say I mostly kept calm. As a journalist, I am prone to ask questions and the instructors know the answers, so don’t be afraid to ask. The more you know, the more comfortable you feel and those guys know their stuff.

Even with my not-so-near-death experiences, I left feeling confident with what I learned and eager to go out again to test my knowledge. I would encourage everyone to take a class. I wish I had opportunities like this when I was growing up and now, it’s safe to say I’m hooked and am dying to get back out on the water.

Poulsbo Parks and Recreation is offering both adult and kids classes this summer for the first time in several years. Information is available on the Parks and Recreation website: www.cityofpoulsbo.com/parks/parks_sports.htm

You can also contact Joe Schiel for more information. Email: jschiel@cityofpoulsbo.com or call 360-394-9776.