Charles Barclay's father took him sailing for the first time when he was 3 years old. “I was petrified. When the boat heeled over, I knew I was going to die,” Barclay said.

Three years later, he went sailing with his grandfather, and was still terrified. That same year, his family set him adrift in a dinghy, with a life jacket and a pair of oars. He was closely monitored, but had to learn to row to get back to his family.

It transformed his fear of the water into a lifelong passion for competitive sailing and for teaching it.

Barclay is general manager of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club (BHYC). A Pennsylvania native, he earned a degree in economics there. In 1988, he moved to Honolulu to attended the University of Hawaii, where he earned an MBA in international business. He met his future wife, they married and had two children.  He served as harbor master for Kewalo Basin, a small recreational and commercial use harbor in Honolulu. Later, he became a district manager for the Port of Honolulu. He also taught sailing to Mid-Pacific Institute high school students.

In 2015, the family decided to leave Honolulu for the east coast. “The city was getting worse in terms of overcrowding and crime. I wanted my wife and kids to experience life in a small New England town,” Barclay said. As a child, he had spent time at his grandparents’ place in Friendship. And he formed another connection with Maine while working at Kewalo Basin. “There were wooden boats deteriorating in the harbor and I got involved with trying to save them. I was stunned by how beautiful they were,” Barclay said.

He became hooked. He began perusing issues of Wooden Boat, a Brooklin-based magazine, and struck up communication with respected marine historian and author Maynard Bray.

In 2014 and 2015, Barclay applied for jobs along the east coast, eventually taking on two, one as a sailing coach for Maine Maritime Academy, the other as a yacht club instructor and sailing director for BHYC. He now works for BHYC full-time, overseeing its 3.5 acres of property and buildings, navigating paperwork and managing its athletic programs, staff and students.

As a competitive racer, Barclay has sailed many places, some beautiful, some not. But he thinks it’s the people one sails with, rather than the place, who make or break an experience.

Boothbay Harbor is his favorite place to sail. He said, “The harbor opens up in a V-shape into the Gulf of Maine. A 13-foot tide creates current, but the shape keeps it gentle. The harbor is well-protected. The wind is light in the morning, great for teaching, and it picks up to a moderate 12 to 18 knots in the afternoon. That's perfect sailing weather.”

As a newcomer to the area, Barclay is still figuring out connections, although he said everyone in and around the harbor has been helpful. He has great respect for what he calls the area's world-class shipyards, boat restoration operations and builders. “I'd love to see them maintain their independence, to remain family-owned and operated enterprises. They're pillars, holding up this community,” he said.

Currently, Barclay is coordinating BHYC's upcoming seasons, preparing for instructors, staff and new sailors. He’s also planning activities for the yet-to-be-built Sailing Center on the old McKown property the club purchased in 2010. “The center will allow us to have year-round activities, primarily focused on junior sailors,” said Barclay. Three junior sailors earned their U.S. sailing keel boat certifications in 2016. One, at 11 years old, was the youngest in the country. The Junior Sailing Program is growing and the BHYC Junior Program Foundation is capable of providing those in need from $25,000 to $35,000 in scholarships. 

Barclay strongly believes that good sportsmanship is at the heart of competitive sailing. Developing a sense of fair play, taking responsibility for one’s actions, and giving competitors the benefit of the doubt are key to being a good sailor. He teaches his sailors to thank competitors for agreeing to race with them, and to thank race committees for volunteering time. They are also responsible for learning how to rig and repair their boats. “We're teaching them how to be good people, first, through sailing,” Barclay said.

Another component is perseverance. In October 2016, BHYC high school sailors were in Rockland for a race. “The wind was strong. Our two youngest sailors held their boat down by working extra hard. They rounded the mark in second. The first-place boat rolled to weather and capsized and our kids won the race by 200 yards. They came in second in the second race, and won the third race. They were in the hunt to win the regatta.

“During the fourth race, two boats behind them in the standings were on starboard tack. They had right-of-way. Our boat had a port tack. It was blustery and they did a crash tack. The two boats went over. Our sailors, knowing they had fouled, started to turn and capsized. The other boats righted, caught the fleet, and won the race. Finally, our kids turned the boat. One climbed in and pulled the other from the water. They knew they were going to be last, but they sailed the course. They persevered and finished, and they now have an experience more important than a trophy.”