Away from home but never away from the sea, Antolin Rivera has found common ground at the Davis Island Yacht Club.
By Antolin Rivera
Published November 7, 2003
Growing up in the island paradise of Puerto Rico, I was never too far from the blue ocean. Water surrounded the land like a motherly embrace, and the trade winds continually whispered on the shores, "Come sailing, enjoy the sea."
In my early childhood, I was marked for life. Like my father, I would forever be connected to the water.
My dad loved the sea. Being at the beach always made him and the family happy. An avid swimmer, he would often paddle out to the buoy line with me on his back, then leave me hanging on the line as he headed toward deeper waters. I would cling to that rope as I tried to keep him in sight. There was nothing to see but water all around.
My mind raced thinking of what lurked below.
Dad always returned and hung at the line with me, laughing and reassuring me of his love. He's been gone for quite some time now, but the sea will always bind us.
Moving to Tampa was a business decision. There were other options, but I wanted to be close to the sea. I had to be able to sail, and it had to be in saltwater. No lake sailing.
Soon after moving to South Tampa, I discovered the Davis Island Yacht Club - the "Sailingest club in the South." It suits me.
Visiting the club the first time was a bit intimidating. Back home, yacht clubs are well-to-do places where only the "financially healthy" congregate for fishing tournaments on their luxury yachts.
Not so at the Davis Island Yacht Club. The first Thursday night I visited the club, someone invited me on their sailboat. From then on, every week I went to the bar offering my services as "crew looking for boat."
I made friends quickly and they adopted me. I went sailing every week. Awesome.
Having left my sailboat in Puerto Rico, those nights were medicine for my soul. I found DIYC to embody all that's important in the sailing world: open to the community, plenty of sailboat racing and a cooperative spirit.
The decision to become a member was an easy one for me and my family. The club has family-oriented activities and a great youth sailing program.
Last week, we tore down the old clubhouse to make way for a new one. Today, we celebrate the official groundbreaking.
Members have debated everything from the style, financing, decor and functionality. Consensus has been sometimes elusive, but we move forward knowing that the one thing we'll always preserve is our sailing spirit and camaraderie with the sea.
DIYC is not a fork-and-knife club. We don't join to see and be seen. We don't come because we have a pretty building. We come because we are surrounded by like-minded sailors who value the environment, the family atmosphere and the celebration of life under the sails.
The new clubhouse will be more functional and elegant than the old one, but the spirit will be the same. We will never imprison our passion to be the sailingest club around. My father would have been glad.
- Antolin Rivera fixes computer systems for Hewlett-Packard. He lives in Fairoaks/Manhattan Manor with his wife, Heleyde, and 10-year-old son, Antolin.
