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A Lifetime of Sailing Memories “Off the Grid!”
From Denise Whatley . . .
A Multi-Level Offshore Grad Who Took Her First Course in 2014, Now Sailing the World on a 42′ Southerly with Husband, Patrick
“Do you even know which way the wind is blowing?,” questioned Rick, our first instructor. It was my turn at the tiller and I almost gybed the Colgate 26 we were learning to sail. No, I didn’t. I had no idea because the wind was whipping out in the bay, it was loud, I was in survival mode and I was still trying to remember the difference between a luff and a leach. Talk about information overload; learning the basics of sailing is full of new information. Wow, have we come a long way! That was back in 2014 and we had signed up for the Fast Track to Cruising course where one can get three certifications that incorporate the basics of cruising through Offshore Sailing School. Located in Captiva, there was no better setting and after that first course we were hooked.
“Slow is Pro”
To this day, I can hear every Offshore instructor I’ve ever had in my ear when I’m sailing. After that first course I had ingrained in my head sayings like “Slow is Pro, Tiller to the Boom to Avoid Doom, When In Doubt Let it Out”. By the way “Slow is Pro” is applicable to most things in life and it’s a saying I repeat on land as well as at sea. In 2015, our next course was the Coastal Navigation course Offshore Sailing School offered in the BVI’s at Scrub Island. What a beautiful place! As a bonus, we were able to complete the course on the Lagoon 47 and earn a catamaran endorsement. We set off with our instructor, Neal, for a week-long course to learn about navigating and how to sail on a catamaran. I can still hear Neal comment on how driving a catamaran is like pushing your shoulders. You move the levers for the engines like you would move your shoulders to turn left or right. One shoulder moves forward while the other shoulder moves back. On the catamaran is where I learned to pick up a mooring ball. The real reward of that course was seeing those stars in the BVI’s. To this day we still keep in touch with Neal.
WWJD – What Would Joelle Do
It wasn’t long before we signed up for the Coastal Passage Making Course in 2016. Getting to go back to Captiva was a treat and this course was more in depth as it incorporated basic sailing skills and preparing for passage making. Joelle, our instructor, is one of those people you meet and are in awe of. Yachtmaster is just one of many titles on her resume. On her off time you might find her flying planes in Alaska and playing fiddle for her local Salvation Army during the Christmas season. Most importantly, she is cool under pressure and an excellent sailing instructor. She has had the biggest impact on my sailing and when I think WWJD it means What Would Joelle Do? When I’m sailing today and we are in a restricted channel, I hear her say “Don’t drive this thing like a car!” As she taught us to always look behind to see if you are still in the channel and see what “crabbing” means so we don’t get pushed too far in one direction. “Always leave yourself a lot of ‘insurance’ at the end of your bowline,” she would say as we practiced tying knots. Thanks to Joelle, when the wind is getting squirrely I always remember to imagine a giant finger extending upwind, where the boom meets the mast, to indicate which way I should turn to avoid a gybe. And, when docking, “get that midship line on first then you can take care of all the other lines.” And for the love:never call your sheets or lines ropes!
From a 19′ Flying Scot to a 42′ Southerly
After those courses, we bought a Flying Scot and joined our local sailing club in Birmingham, Alabama on Lake Logan Martin. We took our sailing skills we had learned through our Offshore Sailing School courses and greatly improved upon them in our 19’ Flying Scot as race day is every Sunday during the season. In 2020, we decided to take the plunge and order a 42’ Southerly all the way over in Southampton UK. Ok, so we are doing this…I immediately booked a refresher for the Coastal Passage Making course with Joelle through Offshore Sailing School. The Passage Making course is so comprehensive. From anchoring, being on watch, navigating, going through engine checks, the course really has it all. Most importantly, the Passage Making course teaches you how to be safe.
How I Got to Be the Sailor I am Today
I am grateful for all my instructors I had through Offshore Sailing School. They have all played a big part in preparing me to be the sailor I am today.
Southampton to the U.S. with Many New Coastal Towns Along the Way
In 2024, we took possession of our Southerly and started making our way from Southampton to the US. We entered the ARC Portugal in June 2024 which took us from Plymouth UK, to France, Spain and finally Portugal. We got to make stops along the way in some magical places. From Portugal she made her way to the Canary Islands where she left in November 2024 as part of the ARC with my husband and three others to cross the Atlantic Ocean to St. Lucia. My husband and I left St. Lucia on March 1, 2025 and have island hopped all the way to Puerto Rico where we are as I write this. Our boat is named Off the Grid and she has proved to be very seaworthy. She has already given us a lifetime of memories one can only get by pulling up to a new coastal town via sailboat.
By Denise Whatley – Pelham, AL
