tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45356289855485620462012-01-06T00:07:57.199-05:00This blog will be used to help share and reflect on experiences and events that are part of the Island Sail - Sailing School. We hope that it will also let parents and those enrolled in the program communicate and provide feedback about the program.Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.comBlogger191100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-50470782221070821282007-08-19T12:05:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:52.004-05:00

I have a few minutes before I need to be in line for the 1:00pm ferry today. Karen and I spent the morning wrapping all the larger sailboats for winter storage. It was the prettiest day of the summer I felt... sunny, cool, with the hint of fall being rapidly on the way. I wanted to eat lunch on the picnic tables over-looking the cove and begin to reflect back on all that I have learned from

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-61954102180850305402007-08-14T17:27:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:52.281-05:00

Week six, sadly our final week at Island Sail, is off to a brisk start. Monday the weather worked out and we got a full-day in without getting soaked. The morning registration and swim was warm and dry, but a shower blew threw at lunch. By 1:30 in the afternoon the sun was poking out and we had a nice first day of sailing for the afternoon crew. By 4:30 I was watching dark clouds and hearing

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-69332776541485767692007-08-12T18:18:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:53.259-05:00

What a great day and event the Dogtown Regatta ended up being for Island Sail! In the morning we battled high winds and scared sailors - both in the Island Sail harbor and on the way up to Old Harbor. My sincere appreciation goes out to all volunteers and instructional staff for helping to make this a wonderful event... despite a morning where few sailors were smiling. The afternoon was a

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-31754260303311349392007-08-12T17:21:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:53.610-05:00

The fifth week has traditionally been the busiest week of the summer at Island Sail and this year seems to be in line with the past. We had 40+ sailors come to the boathouse on Monday. We lost four of our instructors for the week (Joanna, Katie, John, Anna), making it a chore to distribute participants into the morning and afternoon sessions in a way that would assure our efforts to send all

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-8484232993633684782007-08-11T13:21:00.001-04:002008-12-09T20:03:53.968-05:00

Week 4 was filled with beautiful days and nice sailing conditions. We have a large group of sailors, with many new faces to Island Sail. Looking back on this week it was the best instructional week for our program to this point. After the larger numbers in Week 3 we were able to adapt how we arranged the morning and afternoon sessions to better facilitate all skill levels. I have a sense that

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-3745189552279255462007-07-25T17:53:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:55.437-05:00

Here is a picture of our group from the afternoon session this week. They didn't want to stop on the ramp to pose for pictures. As you can see, it was a beautiful day in Vinalhaven today. The wind was nice and steady at 10-12 knots and it was hot. I heard someone in town report a reading of 87 degrees. The afternoon bunch headed over to Old Cove on a longer journey. The morning crew got a

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-52002887652365349452007-07-25T07:48:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:55.833-05:00

Island Sail is proud and excited to welcome, Olympic Medal Winner, Kevin Burnham to Vinalhaven. Kevin won the Gold Medal in 2004, a Silver Medal in 1992 and again in 2000, sailing in the fast-paced 470 Class. Kevin's parents are residents of Vinalhaven and we are grateful that all Island residents and Island Sail will be provided with an opportunity to hear Kevin give his motivational

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-61109739671361490012007-07-24T21:03:00.001-04:002008-12-09T20:03:56.565-05:00

I am rushing to get something posted before my Internet connection fades... a strange Island-ism occurs here where I am staying and I usually will get a wireless Internet connection for about 20 minutes each night, but it fades out (sort of like the setting sun). By the way - I would like to post a public Thank You to the Carpenter's for their generosity in providing such a nice place for me to

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-58094452448853899822007-07-19T10:23:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:56.892-05:00

The rain is holding off today and students have been able to get out on the water for the morning session. We are hoping the weather will hold for the afternoon crews. Yesterday was rainy and foggy and we stayed near the boathouse and went through land-based skill building activities and instruction. It was nice to avoid two days in a row of this approach to learning to sail. The winds are in

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-50219751548385101222007-07-17T09:43:00.001-04:002008-12-09T20:03:57.300-05:00

We are off to a good start with week two of Island Sail. Monday's swim test was fun and filled with a sense of accomplishment for new students. The water has warmed up considerably since last week's swim test. The bright sun and warm temperatures helped with smiles as people crawled out of the water. Our morning class has eight students, with a few new faces to Island Sail (Jesse, Simon,

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-9022700445061295402007-07-13T08:18:00.001-04:002008-12-09T20:03:58.714-05:00

Our first week at Island Sail has been wonderful! We have missed having Marissa here for most of the week and look forward to her return and leadership next week. Sarah has done a great job of leading solo and I am very pleased to see leadership and more mature instructors emerging from our Instructors in Training team. Our students have been a great group to work with in Week 1... they have

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-78991269366955213862007-07-10T13:20:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:59.346-05:00

We are up and sailing! After a chilly swim test for a few brave first-year sailors and registration on Monday, on Tuesday the weather held and we had a light breeze (0-5 kn) from the South building for sailors to get on the water. The instructors did a nice job of getting things moving and lots of smiles filled the morning. Safety, fun, and learning... just like advertised.! We had eight

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-47222126216921238972007-07-05T16:14:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:03:59.842-05:00

This is a picture, off the back of the ferry, looking back on Rockland Harbor. Sitting the the parking lot of the Vinalhaven library, making an entry in the blog, with the fog rolling right in front of me is not making me miss home much. We have been provided with a wonderful place to stay. The view and accommodations are picture perfect... thanks so much to the Carpenter's for making it

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-70165836289343647682007-07-03T22:22:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:04:00.040-05:00

I took some time this evening to create a set of graphics that I can use to create our own Island Sail diagrams. These will be useful for creating our own curriculum & instructional resources. It takes a bit of work to shift the position of all those little sails :o)The nice thing about creating graphic sets is that it saves times when you need to create other diagrams. I'm working toward being

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-52141573430458249082007-07-03T11:17:00.001-04:002008-12-09T20:04:00.234-05:00

I hope everyone is having a nice sunny day! Today, I am going to include several links here for people to check out. I am working on the "Instruction" section of the new Island Sail web site. You will soon find these links embedded into the "Curriculum" page. Also, Instructors should check out the "Instructors" page... already linked in the "Instruction" pop-up menu. Be thinking about your

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-76164905154787813382007-06-30T20:50:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:04:00.871-05:00

I had been meaning to write a personal letter to the instructors before we met this coming week... but with only a couple days left it is unlikely to be that formal of a start to our relationship. Some of the greatest accomplishments are the result of jumping in with both feet. I am sure, on both sides, some anxiety exists over the arrival of a new "director" for Island Sail. I hope that any

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-2815437526534784572007-06-30T17:17:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:04:01.026-05:00

Hi again... its me :o) I don't have much to report in terms of Island Sail... except that I sent out invitations to everyone to join up on Island Sail's new Google Group team space. I am eager to hear ideas from program leaders about how the group space can be useful, to improve Island Sail. My past experience tells me it will be a growth process. What we accomplish this year, harvesting and

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-47742882322309879902007-06-28T23:39:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:04:01.133-05:00

I have been keeping busy today setting up the framework and components of the new Island Sail web site. The transfer of site content from the current site will take place over the course of the summer season. The bulk of the work will be entered into as a collaborative process with our instructors and board members - to consider and evolve potential uses for new site features. Obviously, the

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4535628985548562046.post-83836193607533649222007-06-27T22:27:00.000-04:002008-12-09T20:04:01.408-05:00

Hello! It is just about time to unfurl the sails and launch into another summer of sailing at Island Sail. My name is Mark Arnold and I am the new Program Director for the sailing school. I hope our veteran sailing school instructors are as excited as I am to get things rolling and are eager to improve and expand on the new US Sailing curriculum. As the new director, my primary goal is to

Mark Arnold, Program Directorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11733883084017169821noreply@blogger.com0