By Grey Lupindo
I recently had
the chance to visit Gull’s Wing Sailing Club, which is Second Life’s newest private
sailing community. Located at Gull's
Wing Sailing Club, JadeSnake Island (47, 205, 22), Gull’s Wing is a beautiful
mix of private residences and open water. It is one of the most serene and
picturesque communities in SL. The
community spans four private sims, with shared access to three others. Gull’s Wing is limited to sailboats, kayaks,
canoes, and small motor boats. There are
no noisy airplanes allowed. Best of
all, there are over five sims of open water and no ban lines!
The creators of
Gull’s Wing are well known to many Second Life residents. Dearest
Myrtle and Toby Howton operate ArchiTech Designs (AD) and Toby’s Juke Joint. They are joined in this new venture by Avery
Saxena and Bob (Unclesamoriginal), who are the Harbor Masters. They are all dedicated to helping residents
have the best possible experience in their new club. I had some issues due to SL hiccups, but
both Avery and Bob were very supportive and patient. They even gave me a personal tour on Bob’s
sailboat. Bob and Avery live on-site,
too, so they are personally interested in maintaining the quality of this up-scale,
private club.
The landscaping,
for which AD is well known, is beautiful.
Currently the site is in autumn colors, and they plan to do seasonal
changes for spring and summer. The land
gently rolls and offers plenty of parks, trails, and picnic areas. There are many coves and inlets to sail and
explore, waterfalls and ponds to enjoy, and nautical themed shopping is
planned. Bob also plans to set up a
7Seas fishing area soon.
At the entrance to Gull’s Wing is a beautiful lighthouse
that serves as a welcome center for visitors as well as a meeting place for residents. Currently on the ground floor there is information
about living and sailing opportunities and an office area for the Harbor
Master. You can even pick up a free Nemo
sailboat here.
Inside the lighthouse
there are areas for events, a bar and dance club, and a Greedy game. My favorite area was the wrap-around deck on
the second level. I met a few of the
residents here. Surrounded by beautiful
flowers, we enjoyed a glass of wine and a great view of the water while we
chatted.
I learned that Gull’s Wing has three types of
membership: Day Sailor, Live Aboard Sailor, and Resident Sailor. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee in real life,
a Day Sailor can rez his or her boat and sail on Gulls Wing Harbour, Owls Cove,
half of JadeSnake Island, and across waters owned by ArchiTech Design,
Crossworlds Sound, and into and around Toby’s Juke Joint for an entire
week.
One of the best ways to get to know an area is
to talk to the people who frequent it. I
was able to chat with two members of the sailing club, Jez Feral and Sydney
Mantell. Jez, who has been a Second Life resident
for a year, rents a dock here. She told
me she thought she was going to have to give up sailing when she and her partner
moved into a non-sailing community. Fortunately she found out about the opening of
Gull’s Wing Sailing Community.
“It was Kismet....I
had just planned on packing up the sail boats,” Jez said. “And just a day after we moved, I got notice
from Toby and Dearest and Bob and Avery that they were doing this sailing sim.” Smiling, she added, “It was perfect
timing. In fact, so well timed that I
had to think it was meant to be. I wanted
to be able to continue to sail. So we
have a home elsewhere, and I can come here to sail.”
Although
she says she isn’t a “serious” sailor, Jez owns a lot of sailboats. She’s
even thinking of getting another, even faster one, because she likes sailing
here so much. When I asked her what she likes best about
Gull’s Wing, she said the open water that is barrier-free.
“I used to get hung up on property barriers
and sim crossings on the other sailing sims,” Jez said, “so it made it really
hard to let the sails out and fly.” Although
she also enjoys the ambiance here, especially the sounds of the water and the
gulls, she likes the space the best. “I
really haven't seen another sim with so much room to sail, and that's a treat.”
Residents who
want to be able to walk outside their door and onto their boat will want to
check out the cottages. There are over
30 cottages for rent in three sizes and price ranges and in different locales. Residents who like quiet, private spots will
want a cottage tucked away in a cove. Second Life
residents who like action and visiting with neighbors can find cottages that
are set in the heart of the community.
There is something for every taste and pocketbook. All of the cottages, however, are located on
the water and include a boat dock.
Sydney Mantell
invited me over to see her cottage. She
has a great view of the sunrise from her dock.
As we relaxed in her rocking chairs, we enjoyed the great view and talked
about her experiences here. She has lived in other sailing communities,
but she chose to move to Gull’s Wing because of its owners. “I knew the esthetics would be perfect - with
Toby and Dearest it was guaranteed to be lovely,” she said. She
noted that she likes the New England look of the community.
“Secondly,” she said, “I love Toby's Juke
Joint.” Laughing, she added, “And I like
being in the area to see who comes and goes because I'm nosy!”
Sydney also
enjoys the outreach sailing program that Bob runs. In addition to providing free boats, sailing
lessons are offered to help new sailors.
“I think many people get stuck in 'just dancing',” Sydney said, “Helping
others to get started in experiencing other areas of Second Life is a good thing.” She told me the owners are recruiting tutors
to help teach sailing.
We swapped
some sailing stories, including some adventures on other Second Life seas. One of the things she likes about Gull’s Wing
is that its size, while huge, is also manageable. She can enjoy sailing and its exciting
adventures yet still be able to sail back to her dock at the end of the day.
Although
Gull’s Wing helps newbies, it hasn’t forgotten experienced sailors. Racing buoys are set up for regattas, and
sailors have the ability to change wind settings for added challenges. While we were sailing with Bob, Avery
pointed out that the course was designed to help you become a better
sailor. “Some parts are easy,” she said,
“others more challenging.”
At the end of
the day, members can enjoy a jazz club, a bar, dancing, games, and other entertainment
events. Toby's Juke Joint is nearby, easily accessible by water, and it has new
docks for community members.
Membership in Gull’s Wing Sailing Community
is limited to 200 so that the best Second Life sailing experience can be enjoyed by its
residents. Sydney offered this advice to
SL residents, “Better hurry to get here - I am sure it will fill up soon!”
Grey Lupindo
