Sailing with Khoury
Khoury Ibrahim, February 14, 2024
I’ve loved sailing my whole life. As a baby. I rocked in a car seat hanging from the companionway while my parents sailed the intercoastal waterways of North Carolina. As a kid, I spent 11 summers at a sailing camp, learning to sail Sunfish and Flying Scots on those same waterways.
My family chartered a couple times a year, mostly in the BVI and Abacos. My dad captained; I “helped out.” The pinnacle of my teen sailing experience was when my sister and I sailed the arc of the Caribbean from Saint Martin to Trinidad. That trip cemented my desire for adventure, ideally by sailboat.
Fast forward to where I’ve now hit my stride sailing in the Bay. Modern Sailing School’s classes prepared me for the harsher conditions here and taught me how to manage a keelboat. I’m a huge fan and am taking my next class, Offshore Sailing, this spring. It’s absolutely worth it to me to be able to sail beyond the Golden Gate.
I also bought an old Catalina 30 that I’m fixing up. I had Spaulding install an autopilot to make my boat’s first big sail more relaxing, and working with the shop was easy and enjoyable. The day after the autopilot was installed, I sailed to the Farallons with two friends.
This past year, I did my first international charter—in French Polynesia—with just my husband and me aboard. I was so proud of myself as captain and beyond grateful for the opportunities and support that got me to that point. The trip was a huge success, and I can’t wait to charter abroad again.
My next interactions with Spaulding were its awesome holiday party and, shortly afterwards, its newsletter announcing the CLC Wooden Boat Build class. I immediately signed up. A lifelong love of building things, architecture, and design intersecting with sailing was a dream for me. Having just finished the class, I’m walking away with a 12-ft., utterly charming, well-built sailboat. Pete, the instructor, is super knowledgeable, endlessly patient, enthusiastic…just great. The other boat builder in the class was a gal my age. We plan to sail our boats together in Richardson Bay.
Much more than a service shop, Spaulding is preserving the craft of traditional wooden boats, introducing both kids and adults to sailing, and offering the public an incredible nautical library. I’m so impressed with Spaulding and look forward to remaining close by supporting its nonprofit, attending events and classes, and servicing my boat there.
To ensure that future generations have the same opportunities that we have enjoyed, I urge you to consider making a gift to the Spaulding Annual Fund. By contributing to the fund, you will play a crucial role in helping Spaulding generate more enriching experiences for individuals of all ages.
