Mai's profile

I love water.

When I was a child, one of my greatest joys was to swim in a small and somewhat dirty pond in my village for hours in the summertime.
Growing up in midwest China, I developed a strong desire for water sports from watching TV. I can vividly remember how badly I wanted to fly on waters as a windsurfer when I was 13.

Sure enough, I got a shot at it when I worked in Shenzhen, a newly-developed coastal city of China. When I started to windsurf, it was still very uncommon and there were no stores that sold equipment such as boards and harnesses. I spent almost every weekend on the beautiful Golden Sand beach. What a gorgeous picture to go wind surfing on the sun-drenched water before sunset.

I started sailing more with CSC after moving to the Bay Area. Since then, I have sailed in the Southern Chinese sea, the San Francisco Bay, and Gulf of Mexico.

Why do I love sailing?

I always like trying something new.
Sailing across an ocean has appealed to me for a long time. I have often wondered: 'Is a sunset on an ocean different from that seen through endless mountain ridges?' Will I be lucky enough to find a note in a bottle or even some floating treasure on crystal blue waters? How gorgeous it must be to look at a starred sky on a quiet night while sailing on such a small sailboat!

Also, ocean sailing is a perfect way to escape normal civilized life and live simply. There are no phone calls or emails, and other traps that one cannot live without, like credit cards and quarters. Just the current, wind, and boat.

That is why I responded right away when Phil called for crew. Phil is not only an experienced sailing veteran, but a sailor who, like me, loves to sail. I look forward to enjoy the journey with him and to learn from him and the other crew members of No Ka Oi.


About crew:
I could not believe my eyes when I saw Gautam's name on the crew list.

He is not only the only person of the crew whom I know, but also a long time friend since we met each other at CSC. His sense of humor and enthusiasm have since delighted me and many people around. It will be such a great chance to meet him and sail with him before I move to Cambridge, MA.

I missed the crew meeting when I was in Texas, but I am looking forward to meeting Jared, Gavin and Phil, our skipper. We will have plenty of time to get to know each other and have fun.

-Mai