The Call of the ‘Seaward’

It’s not every day you get to go sailing on an 80-ft staysail schooner, so when we were invited aboard Seaward — the sail-training vessel operated by the non-profit Call of the Sea — we jumped at the chance. Along with about 25 other people, we left the Army Corps of Engineers dock in Sausalito on Saturday evening for a rumblin’ reach across the slot in 25 knots of breeze.

While our sail ultimately only lasted about 90 minutes, it had that reset-your-mind effect — the same one we get anytime we go sailing, whether it’s on a keelboat, multihull or dinghy. The only difference was, this one came with paella, frosty beverages, cupcakes and a warm, spacious cabin in which to enjoy them. It’s probably not the typical fare for a trip aboard Seaward, but our sail marked the culmination of an opening weekend celebration benefit for Call of the Sea.

Friends of the organization went overboard in not only donating the food and drink, but also items for both the live and silent auctions that preceeded the event. Marin’s Paul Cayard even gave a talk to the crowd that gathered at the Bay Model. And they were all there to support Call of the Sea, Seaward, and the thousands of children each year who are exposed to the water — many for the first time in their lives — through the schooner.