An especially poignant letter from a reader:

1. I've finished reading your book, and it occurred to me that the people from my youth that still sail don't do so because they live near water. We all have a common thread that supports the idea of your book - we all started sailing with our dads or another mentor. My dad taught me to sail early, and others saw value in me and brought me along - this really helped refine my racing skills. My best memories of sailing aren't of me racing by myself, but racing with others, being pulled out of school to "cruise" in a small craft advisory with my dad. The kids that don't sail anymore weren't directly involved in sailing with their parents.
   
   

2. It also helped me refine my "grand master plan" of getting my family more involved. My daughter expressed desire for a pram at one point, and last night after finishing your book I asked her if she wanted her own boat or if she wanted to sail with me. She said she wanted to sail with me all the time.
   
   

3. I'm thinking about getting a small 2 person boat (like a JY15) that I can handle with my daughter. The club I've just joined has 420's, so we might fool around with those first. Either way, I talked to my wife about this, and she made a valid point - My daughter likes sailing because she's sailing with me. I'm not distracted by cell phones, etc. She has my undivided attention (along with mother nature, but you know what I mean) while we're on the boat. At some point she'll want to steer, and like my dad did with me, I'll pass the tiller on. I'll let her try her hand at racing (with me as crew) when she's ready. I feel that if she chooses to sail in high school, experience sailing a two person dingy will trump pram experience. Plus, we'll have a lot more fun.
   
   

4. Thanks for writing your book and providing the catalyst for my philosophical adjustment when it comes to family sailing. You simply made me think of the obvious things that I've enjoyed about sailing, and made me analyze why I still sail.
   
   

5. Thanks
   

6. Dayton - Charleston
   
   

-- Thanks for your wonderful letter, Dayton!

Here is Dayton and his daughter Maggie sailing a sunfish: