Capt Dave's Tips            

How many of you can remember to write "08" on your checks?  I guess with each new year we all have to learn new "stuff".  A couple of years ago we put together a New Year's Resolution list of items that pretty well sums it up for me.  Print this out and put is on your bathroom mirror and see if you can improve the quality of your life, health and relationships by following these simple guidelines.

   1) Health:       
       Diet:         Eat less while sailing.
       Exercise:  Do more while sailing.
       Habits:     Do more sailing.

   2) Family:       
       Vacations: Travel while sailing.
       Budget:     Avoid malls while sailing.
       Schedule:  Make more time for sailing.

   3) Interests:   
       Hobbies:   Mess around sailing.
       Education: Learn more while sailing.
       Books:      Read stories about sailing.

   4) Friendships:
       Old:         Bring someone sailing.
       New:       Meet someone sailing.

   5) Fellowship:
       Belief:     Think wind when sailing.
       Charity:   Share sailing with others.      
   

      So What's NEW!
What's On Your RADAR?
This season we've added Electronic Radar Navigation to our already comprehensive line up of courses for 2008.  The American Sailing Association has added an "Endorsement" option for students wishing to study and document understanding and proficiency in Radar technology and navigation.  The cost of Radar equipment has reached a threshold where no one can use "Price" as a reason not to own one!  For this reason Windsong has added classes to prepare students for ASA Endorsement Certification in Radar Navigation starting on May 18th.   Check our web site description of Courses Offered for additional information.
 
Afraid Of The Dark?
Late last year we added an on-the-water Night Time Navigation outing which completed our broad spectrum of Navigation programs.  For an "Inland School" we now offer one of the most comprehensive collection of Nav programs around.  At night everything looks different and it's easy to get lost on the water and for this reason many boaters miss out on one of the highlights of boating; being out after dark.  Check our description of Navigation programs from our web for more details about this program starting April 26th.
 
What's Your Meridian?
Our extensive Celestial Navigation program was enhanced this season with the addition of a Noon Day Meridian Transit sights outing.  Join us June 7th to practice taking high altitude noon sights in an attempt to learn where we are.  Yes, I know we're on Lanier within easy sight of land, but this is great practice for use when you venture offshore and need to determine positioning when the moon is no longer present and only the sun is available.
 
 
 New Real Estate Developing On Lanier

   On one of the small shallow areas that appeared in Sunrise Cove over the winter an industrious prankster placed a "For Sale" sign on one of the new islands.

Seems that every piece of land near the waters around Lanier are coveted parcels and this attempt at humor probably isn't far from the mark!

I wonder if it comes with a "Dock Permit" from the Corp?

 
Kid Swapping
Several of our students are swapping kids for the summer!  Before you get ahead of me, take a deep breath and don't get so excited!  Sailing can be a challenge when you have school age kids at home and both parents are taking classes to learn to sail.  A real creative approach to enabling parents to both sail on the same day without the expense of a sitter is "Kid Swapping".  The way this works is for one parent to participate in a morning Sailing Outing while the other one takes the kids to one of the nearby parks for a couple hours of frolicking in the water.  At lunch they regroup at the Dockside Grill at either Holiday Marina or Aqualand Marina for burgers and fries. They "Kid Swap" after lunch and the other parent participates in an afternoon Sailing Outing, the kids get to return to the water and everyone's happy. The kids get a fun filled day at the lake and both parents get to enjoy the thrills of sailing on the same day.  Great win-win solution!  This year there's lots of beach areas at all the parks too!
 
For A Good Time Call
If you've been taking classes for a while and you'd like to see how well you'd sail without instruction, checkout our "Fun Sails" starting April 4th.  Once each month Fun Sails are offered as a non instructional opportunity to take off and sail where ever you'd like yet have the comfort and safety of a Captain aboard just in case you need some security or help along the way.  Reservations are required but whoever comes out chooses the destination and shares the duties of operating the vessel while enjoying the fruits of your development in sailing skills and judgment acquired during your training.  The outings could also provide an opportunity for your family or friends to reserve the entire boat just for your special occasion.  If you've never been to the dam, an extended cruise could take you there and back in 3 hours, but normally these are intended to be 2 hour outings.
 
Need A Mid Week Break?
Starting May 22nd our "Mid Week Sailing Outings" begin for those who need a mid week break and can get up to the lake by 6:30.  These are great outings because they occur during the cooler times of the day when the lake is less crowded and we generally return to the marina as the sun is setting; a truly special time to be on the lake.  Check our calendar for other dates and times throughout the summer or call us for reservations.
 
Ready To Go Chartering?
  Windsong has students who own sailboats in charter service with Conch Charters and Sunsail Yacht Charters around the world.  As a yacht owner, each are allotted owner use time weeks at any Sunsail base around the world!  Often times owners find that they are unable to use all their allocated time in a season and make those unused weeks available to other Windsong students at considerable discounts.  

This program is explained on our web site under the heading "Bareboat Charter Discounts".                    
http://www.windsongsail.com/2/waterSpecial.aspx

In order to qualify for these discounts
initial contact must be through Windsong,
NOT through Sunsail or Conch Charters.

 
 
ASA Membership With BKB Certification
Last October, ASA added a one time $39 "Certification Fee" to the cost of A.S.A. Basic Keelboat Certification. This fee provides A.S.A membership and free subscriptions to Sailing Magazine and American Sailing Journal.  Each student will receive a certification card and online account in addition to valuable discount coupons good for merchandise at local marine stores.  A.S.A. will establish an online database file for students so that they can monitor and maintain their personal training and certification information.  This database will be available to charter ParticipationGuidelines.htmas a means to verify customer certifications and sailing resumes.
 
Come Join Our Summer Sailstice - June 22
    

Summer Sailstice is the annual global sailing celebration held on the summer solstice and the weekend closest to it, the longest sailing days of the year. This international event was founded to connect the global sailing community in a fun, creative, multifaceted, multi-location sailing holiday.

Come celebrate the Summer Sailstice on June 22nd from 1-4 pm when we offer an 3-hour extended "Social Outing" at the same rate as our regular 2-hour outings.
 

2007 was the 7th annual Summer Sailstice, uniting thousands of cruising sailors, yacht racers and pleasure boaters all over the world in celebration of wind, water and sailing.  In December 2005, Summer Sailstice won the International Sailing Summit Award and in 2004 was named one of sailings “Top 10 Events” by Sailing Magazine.

If you like to relax in the sailing lifestyle, participate in the sport of sailing or cruise the seven seas, Summer Sailstice applauds your desire to be out on the water under sail!

Join our "Summer Sailstice" to celebrate the joy of sailing!  
Make your reservations TODAY!

'Who needs a reason to go sailing? Its like breathing - It MUST be done!!!'

 
Credit Card Purchases

 We Accept:

Many of our customers find it more convenient to authorize payment for their classes via their charge card.  If you would like to arrange authorization to use charge cards, you'll need to print the authorization form from our web "Forms" area, sign the authorization and mail it to us. For added safety you can omit your security code and expiration date then phone or email those to us separately. 

As a reminder, payments for ground school classes are due 4 weeks prior to class.  If you wish to charge payments, credit card authorizations must be received by our office at least 4 days prior to Sailing Outings and 4 weeks prior to Ground School Class dates.  Once we have your authorization on file you can use card payments at any time for subsequent classes.

To ensure the highest confidentiality and safety for your Credit Card information, charge payments CAN NOT be accepted in the class room or when boarding the boats.  Your information is stored in an encrypted and password protected database which is only accessible by our financial officer who personally processes all credit card payments.

 
Sailing Stories

 Everyone enjoys a good "Sailing" story, particularly when they're factual.  It doesn't get any more factual than the Sailing Stories our students have posted on our web site for the benefit of other students and sailors.  This year we are sponsoring another cruising couple as they begin their voyage. We join their story as they purchase an Island Packet 38, sell their house and move to Florida.  You'll have to check out their story and come back every couple of weeks for updates.    Mary & Roy Stegall
 
The Water's Fine; Come On In!
As the lake levels receded during the winter our students made an interesting observation.  Since most of the power boats sold on Lanier don't usually come with depth sounders, few really know the actual depths of the navigable waterways around Lanier.  For this reason, most all the power boat traffic is absent from the lake.  A prudent mariner equips his boat with an array of equipment to ensure safe boating.  A depth sounder is high on the list of safety, especially on Lanier.  A rare opportunity is experienced by all who have been sailing with us these past few months.  We're the only ones on the lake!  Sailing on Lanier right now is like enjoying your own private pond in your backyard.  Obviously there are some challenges around the lake, but with adequate navigation skills, a lake chart and a depth sounder, and a bit of historical "local knowledge" the lake can be safely enjoyed, even by boats with a 6' draft!  We're having a wonderful time enjoying our sport and we invite everyone who hasn't experienced this rare opportunity to join us!
 

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      Windsong Events
 
Sunset Cruises - Season Line Up
Each season we try new things, but some things were so popular they're hard to improve. Such is the case with our "Celebrity Sunset Cruises". 

Sunset cruises are a great way to introduce yourself or your "special someone" to the joys of sailing in a social setting.  Each cruise offers an escape for some time alone on the tranquil waters of Lanier, a romantic escape for a couple or celebration of a special event. 

We generally start each cruise with a humorous safety discussion followed by some light snacks and non alcoholic beverages shortly after departing from the docks.  The crew does the docking and departing, but guests are welcome to participate in the operation and steering once we get under sail.  The goal is to return to the docks about half an hour after sunset so that everyone can enjoy the serenity of the moment!

It's a great social outing with lots of jokes, some games and great conversation AND most of the cruises have a Celebrity Entertainer aboard.  We realize that not everyone wants entertainment and would prefer to enjoy that provided by the peace and quiet of nature, so we have a couple of "Nature Sunset Cruise" outings too!

Space is limited so if you're hoping to participate in one of these non instructional cruises this season, you'll want to make those reservations soon because seats sell out early.  

Reservations are $70 per person or $95 for a couple for the 3-hour cruises.

Here's this season's line up so far!
 

April 12th

Jesse Milton will be returning to amaze us again for his third season with his unique mental abilities.

When Milton is around, some unusual things happen. The belief in the impossible is kindled and intuition is ignited.  Everybody has a great time.  Milton is a cerebral entertainer who can:

  • Discern names, numbers, and important years from the past
  • Intuitively predict mental images, and perceptively discover things about individual personalities
  • Show participants how their own intuition can be set ablaze

Milton is NOT a mind reader, but his engaging and light presentation is filled with surprises, bizarre phenomena, and audience participation.  The audience will warm up quickly, and will find out things about each other they never knew.
   

May 17th

Corporate magician Joe M. Turner (www.turnermagic.com) will entertain us on our May cruise.  Joe’s combination of sleight-of-hand and mental magic has been featured everywhere from Massachusetts to Maui – and has put him in high demand by ParticipationGuidelines.htmlike Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pratt & Whitney, and hundreds of others.  Joe’s application of magic to corporate messaging was featured on CNN Headline News.  He performs at the Magic Castle in Hollywood, the Dickens Parlour Theatre in Atlantic City, and in his own one-man show, Shenanigans, at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta.

 With Joe’s warm, witty personality and world-class sleight-of-hand skills, this will be a cruise to enjoy and remember!

 
June 14th

Bill Kahler (www.BillKahler.com) will be returning for his fourth season by popular demand as one of our Sunset Cruise entertainers.

Bill is a singer songwriter who has been compared to Van Morrison, James Taylor, John Hyatt, Kenny Loggins and David Wilcox.  Bill has shared the stage with Branford Marsalis, Joe Sample, Three Dog Night, Paul Reisler, Darrell Scott, and Matthew Kahler, to name a few.

Bill has written several "nautical" songs per my request and they're all quite good! His warm vocals deliver the lyrics of well crafted, earthy, heartfelt songs performed by guitar, sax, mandolin, accordion and piano.  Bring some cash because you're going to want to take some CDs home with you in memory of the delightful evening.

 
   
July 3rd

Each year we participate in a unique opportunity on Lanier to observe the Fireworks Show conducted by University Yacht club on Lanier.  This is one of our most popular outings. Participants experience the brilliance of the spectacular show from our boats situated in the bay within excellent ear and eye shot.  If you've never experienced a fireworks show while on the water you've missed the best seats possible. The reflection of the explosions light up the waters around you and the percussions of the show echo across the waters. 

Since this annual event occurs the day before July 4th there are no traffic jams or crowds to contend with.

You do not want to "Miss The Boat" for this event.  Make your reservations TODAY!

   
Sept 13th

If you prefer the melodic sounds of nature over those human engineered, this is the Nature Sunset Cruise for you.  Great scenery, some quiet sailing, snacks and conversation are the highlights that set this outing apart from the others.  If you're looking for some quiet escape time behind the helm, trimming the sails or merely sitting in our special "Couples Seats ONLY" area at the bow of our boat, this trip is for you!

   

October 11th

Whether you believe in Ghosts or not you'll want to join our annual "Ghost of Lanier Cruise" in October!

The fourth annual "Ghosts of Lanier Cruise" is a unique sail down Lanier while participating in Ghostly games and stories.  Come enjoy this unique 3-hr evening on Lanier and enchanting sail tales of the history of Lanier and that era prior to the construction of the dam. You don't want to miss this event!  Bring your own creative minds and participate in the story telling!    

   
 

      So What's Been Going On?
 

Upcoming Classes
We have several seats available over the next few weeks of classes.  

You can click on the class description below for more information.

Ground School Classes:

  2/10 12Volt Marine Electronic Systems
  2/24 Engine Maintenance
  2/25 Bareboat Chartering
  3/1 Marine Meteorology
  3/2 Basic Keelboat Sailing Theory
  3/9 Advanced Coastal Cruising
  3/13, 18, 20 Coastal Nav_a
  3/16 Basic Coastal Cruising
  3/31 Meal Preparation & Safety
  4/5 Coastal Navigation_b
  4/21, 23, 28, 30 Celestial Navigation_a
  4/26 Celestial Navigation_n (Night Time)
 
Sailing Outings: (Check the web site for availability, dates and exact times)
     
Windsong
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HATE THAT SPAM?
Ever noticed that all official Windsong emails have the word "WINDSONG:" in the subject? That's so that you can use an email filter or rule to intercept and redirect Windsong emails into a dedicated folder based upon this trait.  That way we won't ever wind up in your SPAM folders or accidentally deleted.  This is actually a two-way street.  Any replies from you will automatically contain the same identifier in the subject and we can prevent it's accidental deletion as well.  So any emails from you to us should contain the word "WINDSONG" in the subject or you risk censure by our anti spam software.  Daily we receive just over 800 SPAM emails and find the use of filtering software imperative.  Don't risk losing our emails, filter TODAY!

 

Friends don't let their friends go through life
without experiencing sailing!

Invite someone to join you today!

PLEASE, REACH OUT AND TOUCH US,

                We're listening!!

Many times students' suggestions are implemented on the spot!  We pride ourselves in our customer service and attention to the needs of our students. If you have thoughts or ideas, drop us a line or give us a call.  All things are possible; you simply need to ask. 

Thanks!
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all our students for their loyal support through the seasons and encourage everyone to bring one new friend along each year as you sail.  As we grow and expand our operation, we want to make our products and services available to all who may be interested, but someone has to make the introduction.  Share the love of your sport with those who may be interested in our unique collection of programs.

You'll be glad you did and so will they!