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Hanna Clements-Hart: Lessons on the San Francisco Bay

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After a sailing lesson, Hanna Clements-Hart reflects on how she can apply what she learned on dry land.

I recently took a sailing lesson on the San Francisco Bay. It was drizzling when I arrived at the dock. I could already name the parts of the boat and points of sail, tie a few knots and had passed a written test, so I was ready.

My instructor Noah, an experienced sailor who had done multiple ocean crossings but was barely older than my kids, told me, “Sailing is going from point A to point B across the water using the wind, a force we cannot control or see.” This was my first clue that I would learn more than just sailing skills.

The sky was clearing and there was a light breeze as we motored out of South Beach harbor, watching Giants Stadium fall away behind us and Sutro Tower rise in the distance. It’s easy to forget that San Francisco is a port town, and it was a treat to see from this angle.

My first lesson: you see things differently when you change perspective. Once we got to open water, we hoisted the sails and caught the wind heading south. We were on a “close haul,” pointing nearly into the wind, yet still moving.

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Lesson number two: with skill, you can benefit from elements that seem opposed to you. But the then current, another force out of our control, was against us, and we made little headway. No problem! Lesson number three: you can learn something from any experience.
The next day, when the wind died, my instructor shared a lesson he learned during an ocean crossing: patience.

If the wind changed when he was on night watch, instead of waking his crew immediately to help raise or lower the sail, he would pause, make a cup of tea, drink it, and then decide what to do. Sometimes the wind would have shifted back, making it unnecessary to wake the crew. Lesson number four: when something changes, don’t react too quickly. “Have a cup of tea on it.”

While I can’t wait to get back onto the water again, I now realize how many of these sailing lessons can be applied on dry land. With a Perspective, I’m Hanna Clements-Hart.

Hanna Clements-Hart is an executive coach and writer. She loves to explore the Bay Area and beyond with her family. 

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