Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S12-E1

Today was the first lesson of the Spring session. Except for a couple of the kids, none had sailed since the end of the Winter session on February 21 st. That is way too long. We all become “rusty” if we don’t sail on a regular basis. Once a week is not enough, but that is all we have, so we make the most of it. A small craft advisory was in effect, and we estimated the wind at about 15-20 mph. Coach Ella was prepared with various land drills, but we decided to go sailing instead and headed out through the Seaplane Channel.

SYSTEM S12-E1
Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E6

With the Olympic opréning ceremony taking place in Italy last night, hosting our own Olympic Day was a great idea. The classroom was decorated with Olympic memorabilia. Olympian Nikki Barnes and her crew, Ryan, and coach Pat Downey were in attendance. giving motivational speeches to all of us.

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Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E5

Another cold front was supposed to descend on us today. It would bring rain, thunderstoms and windy conditions. It was suggested that we may need to cancel the day before. Looking at the weather radar this morning, it didn’t look good. The SYSTEM sailors stayed inside the classroom doing lab work, while our Next Level sailors did chalk talks and some land drills.

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Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E4

What a Day!

Today was a very good day, perhaps the best day we ever had in our youth sailing program. I know, it's a big statement. We have had many good days before, and I can't remember ever having a really bad day. What made today so extra special was, in no particular order: watching kids who had never skippered a boat before now wanting to sail singlehanded or with any number of crew; and the camaraderie between the kids and the coaches: By now, the coaches are basically our best friends. Susan, our Executive Director, called for a debrief at the end of the day. We all need to stay on top of our certifications, such as Red Cross, SafeSport, and US Sailing; Team Paradise is the only Accredited Community Sailing Program on Biscayne Bay. We are honored to be in the position we are in, and we care about protecting….

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Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E3

Despite the lack of wind and cooler temperatures both in the air and water, Team Paradise delivered on a safe and fun-filled day, both on land and on the water. While waiting for the wind to pick up, Coach Ella and Coach Justine had the Next Level sailors teach the SYSTEM kids about the Thin Ice Challenge while the volunteers prepared and launched the sailboats. Eventually, we towed out behind our Boston Whaler and our propeller-less safety boat….

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Veterans Sailing

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Veterans Sailing S2-E1

Our first Thursday Sail in 2024 had four veterans from the Miami VA. Sailing on Biscayne Bay aboard one of our Sonar. The vessel was commanded by Captain Ed, who is also a veteran. Yours truly had another Sonar sailing with students from our adult sailing school. We eventually meet in the Biscayne Channel, which connects Biscayne Bay to the Atlantic Ocean. We ended up there mainly because of the scenic experience that Stilltsville provides. Another reason was the wind conditions. The brisk, northerly wind provided good boat speed and a favorable point of sail. Both boats covered a lot of distance within the allotted three-hour timeline…

Veterans Sailing S1-E4

Veterans Sailing S1-E4

To me, every day is special. Today, we had four veterans and one volunteer sailing in one of our Sonars. We noticed a Pelican sitting next to the boat as we approached it. Something was wrong because the bird did not move. My first thought was to call somebody. Suddenly, one of the veterans said, “No worries, I’m a veterinarian!” She asked me to run and get some big towels, and I did. When I returned, the bird was gone. Our veterinarian veteran had realized that one of its legs had an old fishing line wrapped around it. As soon as she had cut her loose, the pelican jumped into the water and swam away.

Our team for the day went sailing, and everyone had a go at the helm. After returning to port, they all lowered and rolled up the sails, washed the boat, retrieved it, and put it back on the trailer. The debriefing that followed lasted over an hour. The group bonded exceptionally well in a very short time.

Veterans Sailing S1-E3

Veterans Sailing S1-E3

The Miami VA Hospital brings us new Veterans one Thursday per month. Today we made four new friends! In total, we had six veterans. Only a couple of them had sailed before. My “brother” Ed is one of them, and he is a good sailor. Ed and I divided the group into two teams. It was a windy day, so we went out with mainsails only. The bay was choppy, so we stayed close to shore to avoid splashing the crew too much. Our path took us around the sunken Bertram east of Grove Isle towards the Viscaya and the Little Island. We continued southward along the shore past Mercy Hospital to Grove Isle. The second part of our excursion took us through the mooring fields towards Coral Gables Waterway. We returned to port through the Brennan Channel and tacked through the Dinner Key Marina to the US Sailing Center….

THURSDAY SAILING S1-E2

THURSDAY SAILING S1-E2

It was an exhilarating two-hour sailing experience. It was a windy day, somewhere between 17 and 23 knots. We covered a great distance but only spotted a couple of other boats out there. Our voyage took us across the Bay toward the West Point of Key Biscayne, onward into Hurricane Harbour, around Nixon’s Beach, and finally, an awesome reach back to the US Sailing Center in Coconut Grove. Throughout the sail, we chatted away, getting to know each other. Sailing is perfect for expanding comradery!

Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing

Great sailing today! Captain Bob, gave really good sailing lessons to a couple of Veterans. The other boat was skippered by Guy Siegel, who had his family members aboard. Yours truly launched the coach boat and went out to take pictures (see below). Guy’s team was also practicing docking the boat, several times. It can be a bit intimidating, especially when there is a lot of boat and traffic.

Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing

Great sailing today! Captain Bob, gave really good sailing lessons to a couple of Veterans. The other boat was skippered by Guy Siegel, who had his family members aboard. Yours truly launched the coach boat and went out to take pictures (see below). Guy’s team was also practicing docking the boat, several times. It can be a bit intimidating, especially when there is a lot of boat and traffic.

Veterans Sailing

Veterans Sailing

Nice to have our regular Veterans Sailing Program back up and running again! Nine Veterans, two Veteran’s family members, and three fantastic volunteers participated. One of the volunteers is a ret. Coastguard Captain and also our senior sailing instructor. Do you know who that is? Anyway, he was busy giving the final on-the-water test for the sailing instructor certification course. The student is one of our local Veterans!

Veterans Sailboat Racing

Veterans Sailboat Racing

The Crew consisted of Duane Smith, Lanita Soleil, and Nehemiah Cook, all disabled Veterans. Also onboard was Charles Nethersole, a veteran of the British Navy and a world-class sailor. Duane has been sailing with us for several years and he has come a long way. Duane is a certified Basic Keelboat instructor. He helps Team Paradise by teaching sailing, not only to Veterans but to all students. He also heads up our Thursday Veterans Sailing, which has solid attendance.

Columbus Day Regatta LXV

Columbus Day Regatta LXV

Team Paradise located at the US Sailing Center invited my husband, an Operation Iraqi Freedom, myself, an Operation Enduring Freedom veteran and another disabled combat veteran to participate in the Columbus Day Regatta in Coconut Grove, Florida. As a former Navy Sailor there is nothing more joyful than the sound and feel of ocean water. The lovely sound of thundering waves puts me into a deeply relaxed mindset. Although we had some weather building on the horizon the sun came out and it made me feel so incredibly good. While we were racing at high rates of speed, working as a four-person team to control the sailboat I found myself awestruck and incessantly looking at nature in its purest form and its most profound and beautiful forms, being at sea and in nature always seems like it enhances my mindfulness and boosts my physical well-being. Team Paradise allowed me a day away from my regular activities and daily struggles and it created a positive impact on my happiness. Thank-you Team Paradise! Lanita Oceanne Soleil

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Give Miami Day 2020 IS NOVEMBER 19th!

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Give Miami Day 2020 IS NOVEMBER 19th!

We are so thankful for the support we receive each year. Your generous donations help us build on our existing infrastructure of diversity, equity and inclusion in the sport of sailing. We recognize that part of our role as a community sailing organization is to lift up all voices in the sport and provide a welcome and inclusive environment for all.

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The Opportunity of a Lifetime

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The Opportunity of a Lifetime

We couldn’t be more excited about the challenges ahead and the increasing opportunities to help others and do better. With the support of our community, Team Paradise has managed to deliver on its mission for the past 15 years, having proven itself many times over. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”

The Island Race II

The Island Race II

During a practice session a few days before the race, our senior sailing instructor and retired Coast Guard Captain, Bob Hurst, trained with the team of Duane Smith and Julio Gonzalez.

Duane has been sailing with Team Paradise for several years. It took him a while to assume the responsibilities of becoming a helmsman, but he did. Duane is floating to the top, so to speak. He became Basic Keelboat certified, then sailing with us weekly before passing the Performance Sailing and Spinnaker endorsement certification. He raced with a team of Veterans in the Columbus Day Regatta last year and did very well…..

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All Sailing Programs Completed!

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The holiday season is here and it’s a welcomed break for us. We performed 137 program days for 1,115 people this year. We sailed in a variety of conditions, sometimes with winds above 30 knots and we drifted when it was completely calm. New for the year was that swimming and getting soaked was encouraged. Kids love the water and I venture to say that 80% of all the youth loved their sail with us and they would love to return for more fun and bay play.

Sailing with Breakthrough Miami

Breakthrough Miami returned to sail with us on Saturday 12/14. This time it was a group of 5th-grade Scholars from Gulliver we had the pleasure to serve. It was a beautiful morning! I began launching boats at 5:23 AM and it was dead calm and dark. As the sun rose, the cloud formations were awesome. There was a red sky in the morning and we all know what that means!

The bus transporting the kids arrived promptly at 10 AM. We gathered on the 2nd-floor breezeway for introductions, briefings and team assignments. The conditions were still calm and there was no rush to head out early. There were sixteen kids total, with four kids per team for our two Sonar and two RS Venture sailboats.

The breeze began to fill in as we fitted the life jackets. Sails were up and boats ready for the departure. There was an onboard briefing by each captain before leaving the dock and with the US Sailing Center being as busy as it is this time of the year, the runway for departure can change pretty quickly. It’s important to have enough volunteers to help fend off, hold the boat and assist with safe boarding. This particular morning had ideal conditions with the wind out of SW, but when there is a strong easterly flow, boats can get pushed into the dock pretty hard.

The breeze picked up very quickly so jibs were not hoisted on our keelboats. We had a couple of safety boats following us wherever we sailed. The wind increased as the day progressed and it was comforting to have two safety boats following us wherever we sailed. The clouds were growing darker and the wind stronger. We decided to return to port a bit earlier than planned. Better safe than sorry.

Special thanks to our volunteers for making this day happen. They are very special people, Jonah, Bob, David, John, Richard, Peter and Moises. Also, a BIG thank you to Pat and his brother for helping out at the dock and for lending us the USSC coach boat.

Veterans Sailing

Our Veterans (and me) are lucky to have Bob Hurst as a friend. His background as a Coast Guard Captain and certified Sailing Instructor Trainer make him very valuable for our program.

Veterans Sailing on Thursday 12/12 started out in the classroom with Bob teaching Julio a Basic Keelboat certification lesson. Duane and Ericka joined in and they all went sailing.

The normal pizza order which delivers at 2.30 PM was replaced with a take-out order from the Coral Reef Yacht Club. It was about time to try something new:)

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City Sailing

Wednesday 12/13 was the last day of City Sailing. Again, it was Little Haiti Soccer who came to visit. It wasn’t the same kids as last time, but they were just as nice and entertaining. Thanks to having a safety boat on hand, we were towed out and back. In between that, we sailed a little bit, just enough to get the kids excited. We hung at #Paradiseisland305 for a while. The air was a bit cold to go swimming even if I did to take a picture. That was a special moment!

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Sailing School

Sunday 12/15 was the time to bring some new friends out sailing. It was Charles, a veteran that we met during the recent Veterans event at Opa Locka Airport. Then there was Erbil who had just moved down from Connecticut and Brother Moises who has volunteered with us a couple of times. I gave them a sneak preview of what our sailing school is like. They all had a go at the helm, taking and gybing, moving from side-to-side. Sailing different points of sail, learning how to control the boat. They did very well and I hope that they all stick to sailing and become certified!

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Sailing Excursion

On Monday 12/16 I took Cliff and Ann from Chicago out sailing on a Biscayne Bay Excursion. We took the scenic route, clockwise around the Bay. We sailed close to shore, passed Grove Isle and Mercy Hospital, through the Viscaya harbor, then across to Key Biscayne West Point, Nixon’s Beach and around Marker “B” and then back to port. The trip took about 2-1/2 hours to complete.

As we passed Mercy Hospital, we hit an object in the water that made a lot of noise and caused a fair amount of damages to the boat. I will describe the incident in more detail in my next Blog.

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Let’s Go Sailing Soon,

Magnus Liljedahl | Team Paradise SailingExecutive Director

Miami is for me!

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Veterans Sailing on Thursday 11/21 had one new Veteran and his wife come sailing with us. Charles and Cindy discovered us at the 2019 Community Salute to our Military at the Coast Guard Air Base in Opa Locka. The couple had never sailed before! They loved it so much that they will be coming back for sailing lessons on 12/15. We are definitely making a difference changing lives through sailing!

This was a special day because more and more of our Veterans are now able to independently helm (steer) our Sonar, so that we can have Veterans teaching Veterans. How about that? Actually, this is nothing new. Bob Hurst who is a retired Coast Guard Captain is also a disabled Veteran and a certified US Sailing Instructor. Bob has been teaching sailing at Team Paradise for several years.

Youth Sailing with Legion Park

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Team Paradise welcomed kids from City of Miami’s Legion Park on Wednesday (11/20). Two RS Venture were launched for the occasion, but only three students plus one counselor showed up. I was sad for the kids who didn’t make it, but this was a great opportunity to work with our new volunteers. Liv sailed with the kids in one boat while Bob gave sailing lessons to Pam in the other.  Yours truly went in the safety boat with Rick and Raul.  We took pictures and cheered them on. We anchored up at @Paradiseisland305 in order for the kids to have a short swim before sunset. The kids were back on the bus promptly at 5.30PM

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Outreach

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Team Paradise was invited to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 2019 Community Salute to our Military – A resource event honoring our veterans. The event took place on Saturday 11/16 at the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Opa Locka. 

We had an early morning start, towing one of the RS Venture with adaptive seating for display. It was too windy to set any sails, but was otherwise a clear and beautiful day. Our display was right next to Miami-Dade Parks & Rec, which is our partner in Veterans sailing. 

Susan came up with the brilliant idea of giving out raffle tickets in exchange for name, phone and email address. The prize was a sailing excursion on Biscayne Bay for up to 4 people.

We collected the contact info for 27 veterans during this event. Not bad for a days work!

We were just starting to de-rig the boat and load up as a couple of officials came to us. They gave us a stern warning not to post any pictures of military equipment on our website or on social media. That was disappointing because we had taken some cool pictures of vintage airplanes, U.S Coast Guard helicopters and other cool equipment.

Let’s go sailing soon,

Magnus | Team Paradise Executive Director