'There's nothing better': Big Boat Day at Milwaukee Community Sailing Center gets local sailors ready for summer

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Members of Milwaukee Community Sailing Center started sailing season with a splash Friday.

Big Boat Day is an annual celebration of the season, as dozens of sailboats are lifted and gently dropped into the lake.

"It's a little nerve-wracking at first, but then you're in, and you don't worry about taking it out until six months," said Paul Baldino, the center's board president.

His 33-foot-long racer is ready to take on the waves and wind this summer.

"It's like a barn raising. Everybody comes down, everybody helps everyone," Baldino explained.

Each May on Big Boat Day, the sailing center uses a crane and some manpower to put more than 30 big sailboats into the marina for the summer.

"It's just part of the process every year," said Lisa Howard, a member of the sailing center for four years.

Her newly-purchased sailboat was the first one put in the water Friday morning.

"They stalled long enough for me to sand off where the pads are and paint where the pads are," Howard said. "The bottom looked really good when it went in."

She joined fellow members on the dock afterwards to help out.

"I just think it's just the best place to be,' Howard said.

With everything from classes to open sailing, the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center has a fleet of more than 80 boats and 750+ members.

"Their mission is access to Lake Michigan through quality programming for everybody, regardless of their means," Baldino explained.

For both new and seasoned sailors, it's a place to find community and peace, especially in the summer.

"All the stuff and craziness in your head from a work week, you just leave it on the dock," Baldino said.

"Just being out there in the wind, I mean, hello, on Lake Michigan, there's nothing better," Howard said.