Sailing season kicks off at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- No one is looking forward to clear skies and gentle waters like boaters in Wisconsin. After spending weeks prepping their boats for the 2022 sailing season, skippers watched as their sailboats were lifted with a crane and put into the water on Friday, May 6.  

"It's a labor of love," said David Drapes. "This boat is my psycho-therapy. This keeps me sane during the year." 

As the crane lifted Draper's boat, he took a paint brush to it for some finishing touches. 

Thirty-five of the sailing center's biggest boats were put into Lake Michigan Friday.

"It's ready to go in. Its springtime, finally," said John Breschak.

This is the start of Breschak's favorite time of year. 

"I would say the 70-degree evenings when there's music down at Summerfest and there's somebody I like [performing], and I can take some friends and go down and sail, sit and listen to some music," said Breschak. 

It took him weeks outside in Wisconsin's cold, rainy spring weather to prep his 57-year-old boat for the start of the season. 

The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center says many people turned to sailing as a hobby during the pandemic.

"We all learned how important it is to get out in nature and be with friends," said Nick Hayes. the program director at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. 

Both Drapes and Breschak have been sailing for more than a decade, and they look forward to the season all winter long. 

"I like it, because mainly I know that I'm closer to getting in the water," said Breschak. 

As the 20-ton crane lifted the boats into the air, they both couldn't help but smile. 

"Make sure it's not sinking," Breschak joked as he got on the water for the first time this season. 

It was a cold and windy start to the 2022 sailing season, but the skippers are looking forward to a long season out on the water.