Keelboat Sailing on Lake Coeur d’Alene: a look into the free Outdoor Pursuits’ trips

Keelboat sailing

North Idaho College students set sail on the Study Aboard keelboat Sept. 13 as part of an Outdoor Pursuits trip—just one of many offered to students this semester.

Terry Brinton, Outdoor Pursuits coordinator, captained the 26′ keelboat and brought students out to Lake Coeur d’Alene to introduce them to sailing basics. These basics included: 

• Raising the sails
• Steering the boat
• Maneuvering to allow the wind to propel the sails
• Docking
• Flaking (lowering and folding) the sails

The trip was not without conflict, however. Smoke from nearby Grangeville and central Idaho still loomed in the air, and of the six spots open for students only four had registered to go. Of that four, only three arrived to the event—delaying departure by about twenty minutes as Brinton waited on the fourth student. 

The biggest obstacle the keelboat crew faced was the lack of wind. A boat motor, attached as a secondary propulsion device, had to be used in order to move the boat into open water. When the wind did pick up, students sailed at a “brisk walking pace.”

NIC student Angelina Besze steers the Study Aboard

Once out sailing on open water, students engaged in relaxed conversation with Brinton and the Outdoor Pursuits volunteers. They had the opportunity to ask questions, and discussed sailing races as well as sailor superstitions and lingo.

Because the wind did not permit extended sailing, Brinton offered to let the students retake the excursion in the upcoming weeks. He also said that Outdoor Pursuits should post the full 2023 spring trip calendar this December.

“My favorite part was the views of the lake and opposing mountainsides,” said Stallings, who plans on going to the make up trip. 

The ASNIC involvement

Each NIC student is entitled to a free Outdoor Pursuits trip this school year, paid for by ASNIC. ASNIC has invested part of its budget, which is generated from student fees, into these trips to enhance students’ college experience.  

ASNIC President Damian Maxwell said this about the trips:

“I believe it’s important to sponsor these sorts of events because it makes a huge difference in the experience for students here at NIC. I always assumed college was a super cut-and-dried thing where you attended lectures and took exams, so it was pretty cool to hear that the college offers things like the free OP trip and clubs. It showed me that North Idaho College is much more than just a campus, it’s a community that’s willing to go the extra mile to give you the best college experience possible.”

Although the free trips are applicable for the full school year, ASNIC states that they will only be available until funding runs out. Students can register for their free trip online by using promo code “freetrip22.”