Angry Pigeons: Henry Tuttle

Henry Tuttle, a junior at NWA, has been sailing since he was in fourth grade. When his mother signed him up for a “Learn To Sail” class, he immediately found himself enamored with the fun of it.

“It’s nice to be outside really,” he said. “It’s just so enjoyable. It’s like a sense of freedom.”

He says he couldn’t quite pinpoint what made him love it so much. Part of it was the sailing he says— the feeling of wind in your hair and the sheer speed of hurtling down the Willamette River. But sailing has also been a touchstone for him, allowing him to join a community of people with similar interests.

“I think sailing has really given me a lot of long lasting bonds,” he said. “I have friends that I’ve been doing it with since eighth grade, and I sail with the same person every day.”

Recently, those friendships have manifested themselves in a very real way for Tuttle. After saving up around $2,500, he and that friend have purchased their own boat.

“It’s a skiff, a two person boat,” he said. “It’s pretty small. It’s short but it’s very fast. It’s pretty cool to actually own your own [boat].”

Tuttle saved up the money by teaching summer camps by the Willamette. He helps show newcomers the basics of sailing, and has even gotten to work with some students at NWA. He says it’s a great job because he gets to do his hobby while still getting paid.

With his boat, Tuttle has been competing in sailing competitions throughout Oregon. Every three or four weeks he drives either to the Willamette docks in Portland or to a completely different area of Oregon to take part in a regatta (a large sporting event consisting of races with boats).

“Basically you go up to a buoy, go around it, then you go down to another one, go around it and back up,” he explained. “There’s all [these] different courses. I think it’s kind of difficult to learn. It’s a bit confusing but once you learn it’s pretty simple. But I think there’s a bit of a learning curve [when] you compete in tournaments and stuff.”

Tuttle has big ideas for the future of his hobby. Since he got into sailing, the concept of living on a boat, or at least owning one has appealed to him.

“I’ll probably own at least one other boat in my lifetime,” he said. “Maybe something bigger that I can sleep on after college. Or maybe once I retire it could be interesting [to live on a boat].”

Tuttle encourages others to get into sailing and swing by one of his “Learn To Sail” camps this summer. He believes it’s a fun and rewarding experience for everyone.