One blue-sky morning on Quartermaster Harbor recently, a small sailboat heeled over, causing a woman to shriek from her safe, upwind perch, while across the boat, her companion — nearly skimming the water — shouted in response that it looked like she would be the one going for a swim soon. The third woman on board laughed — a carefree, confident laugh — a sign that the situation was under control and that the boat was not bound to capsize just then.

The three women on board were out for a sailing lesson as part of the Bruce Haulman Junior Sailing Program, a joint effort between the Quartermaster Yacht Club and the Vashon Park District.

In weekly sessions in July and August, 20 to 30 children and teens learn how to sail — 150 to 200 kids each summer. Throughout that period — and during early summer and fall — adults are welcome as well, including the sailors on board that day: Melinda Powers, the owner of The Hardware Store Restaurant, and Pam Ingalls, known for her oil paintings that grace the restaurant and sometimes its gallery. College student Audrey Benner completed the trio and was teaching both women the fine art of sailing. She began in the same program when she was 9 and is now in her third year as a certified sailing instructor.

Powers and Ingalls say how their presence in the boat that day stemmed from a spontaneous conversation. They were at a meeting with Haulman — for whom the program is named — and Powers said she had always wanted to learn to sail. Ingalls said she would like to participate, too, and Haulman took the lead. Soon, they found themselves on a small boat with Benner for the first of three two-hour lessons. It was enough, both students said, to learn the basics and want to sail more. By the last lesson, Powers noted, all that they had learned started to gel.

“We would have a little bit of wind, and just running with the wind and feeling that sailing feeling, that was the best moment,” she said.

Ingalls credited Benner with being an excellent teacher in their six hours together.

“Audrey was amazing. She was very, very positive,” she said. “We have talked about her being our personal sailor.”

The program began in the 1960s, Haulman said, and primarily yacht club families took part in it and built their own 8-foot sailboats out of plywood on into the 1970s. Interest faded over time — as did the program. In the 1990s, the yacht club launched sailing classes again, and they have been popular ever since, with some young people coming back year after year, or attending multiple weeks each summer.

Young students are broken into two groups: beginners, for 8- to 10-year olds, with a focus on the basics and being comfortable on the water; and juniors, for 11- to 18-year olds, who sail JY-15 racing dinghies and learn more advanced skills, including racing basics.

The current sailing program director is Tom Kaufer; in a chase boat during sailing lessons recently, he stressed that instructors try to make kids feel at ease on the water.

“We try to get people as comfortable as possible,” he said. “Learning by fear is not in anybody’s best interest.”

Young sailors must take a short swim test in the sound, and they practice capsizing so they have that experience in a controlled environment. When he took the reigns of the program last summer, he said that some of the older students wanted to capsize repeatedly, but he stopped that, saying it is difficult on the boats and not truly part of the sport.

“Once you learn the skill, you chalk it up and move on,” he added.

Weather, of course, factors in largely to the lessons of the day. It is difficult — if not impossible — to sail with too little wind, and too much wind could be dangerous, so class plans adjust accordingly.

“I made it a mandate,” Kaufer said. “Safety, safety, safety, fun.”

The instructors typically are teens and young adults who all have become U.S. Sailing-certified instructors. In their positions, Haulman noted, they learn valuable work skills, including leadership and responsibility.

“That’s as important to me as getting the young kids out sailing,” he added.

Before they teach, many young sailors also serve as apprentices — typically 14 or 15 year olds who assist and learn the ropes of teaching but do not get paid.

Benner said she started as an apprentice six years ago. Her brother was teaching at the time; they were short-handed one day, and he called her to come help. She remained with the program, apprenticing for three years before she became an instructor.

Audrey’s mom told her that after her first day of sailing, she came home and said she did not want to go back. But her mom told her to stick with it, which she did — and the love of sailing took root. There have been challenges along the way. One year as a camper, the boom hit her hard in the head, and she required stitches, but she was determined not to miss a day.

“That kind of frazzled me, but I went back and finished my week of sailing camp,” she said.

Benner, a student at Whitman College and considering a chemistry major, has also taken part in the Sail and Life Training Society (SALTS) program, learning to sail a tall ship in Canada. The group’s motto is “Training young people, by the sea, for life.”

While that motto is not in place at the yacht club on Vashon, Haulman noted that sailing itself teaches life skills that extend well beyond what youth or adults learn in the boat. Sailors have to work with the elements, he said, adding, “You can’t defeat the elements; they will always defeat you.”

As for arriving at a destination, it is often necessary to take a circuitous route to get there.

“In sailing, you can never go from here to there directly,” he said.

Also, he noted, sailing creates perspective.

“You learn your place in the larger world,” he said. “You can’t control the wind or weather, but you can make them work for you.”

While there are big lessons to be had, Benner said she particularly enjoys seeing students grow confident on the water, especially those who start fearful.

“If I can get them loving sailing by the end of the week, that is the most rewarding part,” she said.

As for her recent clients Powers and Ingalls, Benner said she was impressed by how quickly they learned different elements of sailing and their increased comfort and enjoyment in three short lessons.

“It was a blast,” she said. “It was flat-out fun.”

Ingalls and Powers both say they believe there is sailing in their future.

“We just barely got a taste of what sailing is like,” Ingalls said, “but it gave me enough confidence and was fun enough that it made me want to do more.”

For information about the sailing program or to schedule lessons for adults, see vashonparks.org.