___________

He who commands the sea, has command of everything, including himself
___________

Sailing is a lot like life.  We don't know exactly where we're going, but we have a good idea of where we don't won't to be.
___________

My experience with engines is that if you depend on them, they'll fail you.  If it just doesn't matter, they'll serve you well.
___________

Engine fuel is a lot like a good cup of coffee.  The very bottom is better off left unconsumed. 
___________

Comfort and speed are usually  mutually exclusive in most things.

___________

 10 yrs from now you will 
be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  

So throw off the bowlines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in 
your sails.  

Explore!

Dream!

Discover!

Windsong Sailing Academy
770-967-1515

     What's New For Current Students        
 

Also Read Our Latest Newsletter

Students, this page is how we keep you informed between Newsletters.  
Visit it frequently to stay abreast of last minute changes or events.
If you're not a student, here's what you're missing out on at Windsong. 

Need An Earthquake Report Before You Go Sailing?
Having sailed the Kingdom of Tonga and remembering my concerns while sailing in this remote area of the world, the ability to see earthquake activity in a region of the world would have been comforting.  Okay, not planning any trips offshore soon, but would find it interesting to see how many quakes occur on any given day.  Check out our newest addition to our Favorite Links web page under the Weather category. Quakes This Week

2007 Schedule Of Classes And Outings Posted To Web!
Each year we add something new and do something different.  This year is BETTER THAN EVER! 

For those who prefer to beat the heat in July and August we're offering a 10 am "Early Bird Sail" outing if you want to get off the lake before the hottest times of the day.  On the same days we offer a 6-8pm "Late Sail" for those who enjoy the calm of the lake after all the weekend boaters have gone home. This was a suggestion by one of our students during our annual "Opinions Survey" that some of you were asked to participate in.  If you haven't returned your survey, you're missing your chance to tell us what new offerings you want to see for the new year.

More Fantasy Trips:
Corsica has been added as a new fantasy destination.  Check out the class Description or our web Calendars for dates and times.

British Virgin Islands!  More trips this season than ever! Check the class Description or our web Calendars for dates and times.

Early Bird Savings! Price increases are a way of life as our operational costs for insurance and facilities go up with each new season, but when you register early for ground school classes and outings you can save! The new ground school prices are now $199, but if you PAY 60 days in advance an "Early Bird"  $179 price will be available.  Outings are now $70 per 2-hr class but when you book 60 days in advance an "Early Bird" price the same $65 price will be available.  Obviously Early Booking ensures a more efficient utilization of our resources and your sailing dollars.  Either way the quality and effectiveness of our programs is always a great value.  Just ask a fellow student and you'll understand why. 

The cat is out of the bag! We have posted the Sunset Sail dates.  These fun social outings have been extremely popular in past years and we look forward to sharing them with students again this season.  They are purely social and non instructional in nature.  Grab that "special significant other" and share the delights of a casual sail down Lake Lanier on selected evenings (See the "Outings" web page).  Grab some jeans, shorts, or dress up, but importantly grab your space today!! These outings always go fast because they are attractively priced at $70 for a 3-hr outing, making it the best value of any of our outings!  Light snacks and soft drinks will be provided.  Bring a jacket to because it can get cool at sunset.

Check out the Latest Newsletter.
There's so much going on this season, it's worth a quick read of this month's Newsletter.

Don't Want To Get Caught In Traffic?
We've added a link for the DOT traffic site to our "Outings" web page as well as our "Home" page for easy and fast access.  This should help students estimate drive times prior to their departure to attend our programs.

Can't Seem To Finish Your Gift Shopping List?
So you've got some difficult names to buy a gift for or you're the difficult one on someone else's list, we've got the answer! Gift Certificates for sailing classes make unusual tokens of one's affection or appreciation.  Certificates in any denomination or combination of classes are available year-round.  Let us make your occasion memorable for a life time.  Show a special someone how much you care or tell them what would make your day! Sailing Gift Certificates are the smartest most unique exchange of appreciation between loved ones or friends. 

Got Something To Sell?  Try Our For Sale New Site Free.
Although we intend to limit items for sale to our student members, we will consider items submitted from the general public as well.  We'll play it by ear to see how it goes.  Just remember to let us know when the item is sold so that we can keep our web site current.  
So here's the link Items For Sale

Is Your Vessel Safe?
The staff at Windsong have become U.S. Coast Guard Certified Vessel Safety Examiners in cooperation with the Atlanta Power and Sail Squadron and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.  Each year we all have an obligation to ensure the safe and proper operation of our boats and that includes an inspection of all the safety equipment that are Federally and State required.  Have a Windsong staff member assist you by conducting a free courtesy safety inspection each year aboard your vessel.  Contact us and we'll gladly conduct your inspection and award your official VSE sticker.  Check out the official web site for vessel inspections (http://www.safetyseal.net).

Will You Marry Me?
Windsong hosted a romantic sunset cruise that turned serious!  Our first marriage proposal aboard Jamaica Lieu.  Mike Townsend had the evening planned and Beth never had a chance.  The sunset was so romantic, the music was well chosen, the bubbly on hand, and the moment was just so perfect that there was only one answer to the life changing question.  Click here See their photo .

JumpSeats Now Available!
Due to the suggestion of one of our students (Thanks Robert!), Windsong now offers "JumpSeats" on our instructional outings.  A JumpSeat is a stern rail seat for an accompanying guest to ride aboard Jamaica Lieu or the new Colgate 26 during an instructional outing, but not participate in crew positions or rotations.  A guest can experience the excitement of sailing and observe an actual training outing. This is ideal for spouses, children (over 13) or others who'd enjoy spending the time on the lake and could observe what it takes to sail a boat, but not be a participant.  JumpSeats are FREE for the first trip when accompanying a full price student and half price for subsequent trips but are limited only to Jamaica Lieu or the Colgate. Call to inquire about availability. This might be a great way to share your love for sailing with someone who may later decide to take lessons.  Jumpseats are not available on Fun Sail or Sunset Cruises as these outings are not instructional.

Sick Of Cooking?
Has anyone around you gotten sick "from" your cooking? Chef Frank Corbett teaches the tricks and techniques of meal planning, preparation, food preservation and spoilage prevention afloat in our Gourmet Cooking Afloat program scheduled for December 6th.  Without proper training in hygiene and procedure, your trip could become memorable for the wrong reasons. A critical class for those planning a cruise, preparing a holiday meal at home, or picnics outdoors. 

A New Sailor Is Born!
Cori Hembree, General Manager for Windsong for over a decade has added a new sailor to the ranks.  Alexandra Nicole Hembree was born 1/14/03 at 4:20 pm and weighed in at 7 lbs 2 oz.  For a glimpse at the latest addition to the family click on Alex's name above.

Windsong Students Get Bareboat Charter Discounts !!!
When you book your next Sunsail Bareboat Charter, you can buy owner's time-shares for 20%-30% off the regular rates.  Previous Windsong students who have purchased yachts and placed them in the Sunsail charter fleets are granted a number of free weeks use of any Sunsail boat from any of their worldwide charter bases.  Several of our students are willing to sell unused weeks at considerable discounts, but you must ACT NOW because the time periods are quickly being sold.  Visit the Sunsail web site for location and boat choice information (http://www.sunsail.com/usa/) but call us for your booking to receive the discount rate.  Roughly here are the time periods remaining:

	Greece	5/1-22
	Spain	5/1-22 & 10/1-14
	Turkey	5/1-22 & 10/16
	Caribbean	7/1-8/31 & 11/1-12/19
	Club Carib (Boat + Hotel)	1/6-31 & 11/1-12/18
	Thailand	4/22-6/9
	Tampa Bay	7/1-9/30
	Sydney Australia	4/29-9/1
	Whitsunday Australia	2/1-3/31
	New Zealand	5/1-9/30

Turn On Your Speakers!
The web site now has many of your favorite nautical theme musical selections behind several pages, so sit back and enjoy!

 Love The Links Page!
We've received so many suggestions from students for links to add to our "Favorites" page (Favorite Links) that it is growing!  It's been reorganized to help you quickly locate what you need. Check it out and see all the secrets it holds!

So Now What?
You've been sailing for a bit and now ready for the next step.  Where can I get more sailing time on a variety of boats?  We've updated our "Favorite Links" page to add hyperlinks to the most active sailing clubs on Lake Lanier.  Bear in mind that the majority activity at many of the clubs is racing, you probably won't get asked to steer, and it may seem like "servitude" initially, but it's a great way to apply what you've already learned.  Racing can be a lot of fun, on the right boat with the right skipper.  Just like cars and their variety of drivers, there can be some bad apples in the bunch, but after everyone gets to know you and appreciate your knowledge and abilities, you'll begin to get better rides and more rewarding positions as crew.  Check out the links and if you have any questions, drop us a line and we'll try to steer you in some fun directions! 

We've Added A Recommended Reading List
As many of you know, our handouts used in the classes are a collection of information from personal experiences and other sources.  For those who want additional reading, we've compiled a list of recommended publications for your reference located at the bottom of the "Classes" (Reading List) description web page. Since we represent both U.S. Sailing and A.S.A., you'll find recommendations from both ParticipationGuidelines.htm.  It has been our experience that Chapter-11 can order books they don't normally carry and as a result result in considerable savings.  For this reason, we've listed the ISBN numbers as well. 

We've Added A Photos Section
Send us your sailing photos and we'll post as many as we can to our new photos web page.   They must be eye catching, depict sailing and include the names of all in the shot. Be patient because this page takes over 90 seconds to load, but it's well worth it to see your friends.  Certainly not everyone is posted because we didn't get a chance to "snap" everyone, but we'll do a whole lot better next season we promise! Email your virus scanned photos to as attachments and we'll try to present as many as we can!

Boat U.S. Discount Memberships
As a member of the Windsong family you are eligible for reduced rate membership with Boat U.S. Because of this sponsorship you can join Boat U.S. for $12.50 per yr vs $25!  As many of you know, not only is Boat U.S. a great place to shop for your nautical gear, they sponsor many of our activities throughout the year.  You'll need to have us bring your special registration card to your next class to qualify for your reduced membership.  As long as you remain active in the Windsong family you'll continue to qualify for reduced rate renewals each year!  

Looking For Romance In All The Wrong Places? 
Looking for a novel educational opportunity to do with someone special?  Dr Weiss, Director of the Pine River Psychotherapy Training Institute, has added a special  Couple’s Enrichment program to our rich series of course offerings.  This is not a marriage encounter program.  This is an excellent program designed to offer a weekend of fun filled sailing and insight into relationship dynamics.  Think of it as an “outward bound” challenge designed to strengthen the bond of your marriage that provides enrichment and intellectual understanding of the stages and dynamics of long-term relationships.  Based from the lovely Lake Lanier Islands Renaissance Pine Isle Resort, this two-day seminar is designed to be fun, energetic, enlightening and promote a healthy marriage relationship.  For more information about this program, consult our web site

Did Someone Mention Romance?
Be sure to mark your calendars for our sunset and Moonlight Cruises that start in May each year.  Every year they book up early, so be sure not to wait too late to join one of these social outings that offer a different perspective of sailing on Lanier.    

Give The Gift Of Sailing For Someone Special
Sailing Gift Certificates are available year round.   Sailing classes or a sailing outing on you could expose a special someone to a life changing event.  Sailing is more than an activity, it's a change in lifestyle!  Show someone special how much you care!  Gift Certificates are custom tailored to fit your budget.  You pick and choose and they'll include whatever you wish!  Sailing gift certificates make novel gifts for existing or new students. 

Order yours today! Click HERE for some suggestions for several budgets:

There is a world of difference between being outward bound by choice and homeward bound of necessity. ____________

No one knows anything about boats until they have built or owned at least three; by then you realize how very little you really do know.
___________

Before you buy a boat, be sure that the boat will fit your ideas of comfort, your available time and most of all  your pocketbook
___________

There are two great moments in a sailor's life.  The day you go to sea and the day you make it back. 

There are two sad moments in a sailor's life. The day you leave home and the day you have to return.

Everything has it's perspective. ___________

A good sailor gathers opinion and speculation., but never ignores the facts.
___________

Old and young, we are all on our last cruise.
___________

He who has opinions must also listen. 
___________

Of all the things I'll lose during my life, I'll miss my boat the most.
___________