SIGHTINGS bill kreysler — sailing serendipity Bill Kreysler remembers to this day how his dad put him in a lifejacket, plucked him up, put him down into a little dinghy kind of like an El Toro, then pushed him off the dock. That's how he learned to sail. It was a terrifying yet defining moment, as the young lad, about 5 at the time, sailed across the little yacht harbor screaming at the top of his lungs before crashing unceremoniously into the transom of the commodore's powerboat. "What I learned was that when you're in a little boat by yourself, nobody gets to tell you what to do, you get to make your own choices, you have to suffer the consequences, and maybe you have to go swimming once in a while," Kreysler, now 73, chuckled. The greatest thing he discovered was that if he was sailing his little boat, he was his own boss at a young age — that was pretty neat, he thought. While he had no clue at the time where that short jaunt might take him, Kreysler's life has been one of being his own boss as well as one where he's been able to help other kids achieve that fabulous "aha" moment of youth independence. Growing up sailing on and around San Diego Bay, Kreysler got into racing in his early teens, crewing on a Lightning for his friend Howard Makin. He also crewed in the Star Boat with Don Bever, who had just won the continued on outside column of next sightings page
GREG SIECK / MURANO
This page: 'Murano's crew (from left) Greg Sieck, Bill Kreysler and Doug Smith, at StFYC. Right page: 'Murano' sailing back in the days when photographers were still using film.
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Latitude 38
• March, 2021
captain midnight's tips Back in the day when I was a child in the northern latitudes, the winter nights were long and dark, the days were cold and short. I would read sailing magazines and every book in our local library even remotely related to days on the water. Now here in the Bay Area, each day looks like a great day for sailing to me. Even so, some folks still slip away to the hills for the winter and then, come spring, head for their yachts. Many people are under the impression sailing is difficult and expensive. I always say, "It should not be difficult." With that in mind, let's look at the top 10 things you can do to make your vessel easier to sail, and therefore more fun! 1. Get that bottom cleaned. Get it scrubbed by a reputable diver. If he says it is simply too manky and needs to be hauled and painted, get'er done now before the yards are jammed. A clean bottom means
