The snow is finally melting. Soon, the flowers will be in bloom and we’ll be enjoying weather in the seventies. Ah, who the heck am I kidding. We’re looking at three months of rain in Milwaukee before beautiful, homework-less summer. There’s no better place to spend the warmest months of the year than Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s not too hot, not too cool, the festivals are endless and the lake, oh man the lake.

I’ve never been on Lake Michigan, although I have finished off a case of High Life at Bradford Beach, so I at least get to enjoy the sun and the waves. Or so I thought.

Have you ever heard of the Sailing Club at UWM? That’s right, there is a sailing club on campus, and the perks are ridiculous.

Did you know that as a social member (that’s the easy kind), you’re able to hop on a sailboat and hang out on Lake Michigan whenever you want (as long as you have a qualified skipper to take you out)? If you’re a full member, the club educates you on how to sail on your own, and once you’ve passed their tests, you are able to take a boat out on Lake Michigan on your own – talk about an awesome date.

The club takes part in races organized by the Milwaukee Yacht Club, but really it’s about having a great time on Lake Michigan with a group of awesome people that share a love of sailing.

I’ll wait while you go kick yourself for not knowing this club existed last summer.

Nic Learned, a longtime member of the club and UWM student, told me about all of the fun that the club has. “The club takes the fleet onto Lake Michigan many days over the summer, but there’s nothing as cool as seeing the lakefront fireworks from a boat underneath them,” Nic told me. “Taking a boat out on Lake Michigan is such a great experience, we just want the students on campus to know about it as well.”

So, do you think you might want to take part in the fun on the water? The Sailing Club is open to all students, and while the initial fee isn’t free, the experience is definitely worth the price of admission.

If you would like to join the Sailing Club at UWM or would like to know more about it, visit them on the web at http://hal.chem.uwm.edu/sailclub/ or send and e-mail to scuwm-info@uwm.edu.