By Matt Fulkerson/sports editor

Kenneth Grahame, author of Wind in the Willows, once said that there was “nothing half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats,” and students at NW can do more than simply mess about.

Situated on the shores of Marine Creek Reservoir, NW Campus offers students two levels of sailing courses taught by NW physical education instructor Joshua Tarbay.

“In our beginning course (PHED 1117), we focus on teaching nautical skills such as knot tying, boat maintenance and water safety,” Tarbay said.

While the beginning class has no course pre-requisites, students need to demonstrate the ability to swim and tread water, he said.

“At first, I took the class because I needed an elective,” said NW student Roger Salazer, “but it’s turned out to be really fun. And there aren’t too many schools around where you can take a sailing course.”

After completing the course, students will have an understanding of the parts of a sailboat and sail as well as their functions. They can also perform several key sailing techniques, Tarbay said.

“In our intermediate course (PHED 2117), we focus on sail racing preparation, open water rescue and recovery as well as solo sailing and navigation,” he said.

Students spend the majority of class time on the water, starting during their first day of class as they perform a swim test, Tarbay said.

“When there are no or low wind conditions on the lake, we break out the kayaks and paddle the shoreline,” he said.

Along with the kayaks and canoes, the class has a new option for days that are unsuitable for sailing.

“We just got some paddleboards two weeks ago and got to take those out. They were a lot of fun,” said NW student Keegan Olson.

While the courses will not be offered in the spring semester, interested students can register for the course in the fall.