Sailing Story: Captain Jalil

Sailing had long been a dream of Captain Jalil before it became a reality.

“I had been dreaming of sailing my whole life,” he explained. “I built sailboat models as a kid in the basement.”

It wasn’t a lack of interest stopping Captain Jalil from sailing the real life versions of those boat models he built but instead, the logistics. 

“My problem was I grew up in the arctic,” Captain Jalil explained about his childhood in Alaska. “I would always go to Homer just to touch the sea!”

For graduate school, Captain Jalil found himself in another arctic country. However, it was there, in Finland, that his dream of setting sail would finally become a reality. 

“My friend and I rebuilt an antique sailboat together during the winter and in the summer we launched it,” Captain Jalil said. “My first thought, the first time I saw the mainsail go up, I couldn’t believe it.”

It wasn’t just the awe of finally reaching his dreams that left Captain Jalil stunned. 

“It can’t be that good to put up that much canvas in that much wind,” he said he remembered thinking. “It took a few moments for me to realize we weren’t going to tip over!”

Now, as a Go Sail captain, Jalil loves seeing his students have that exact same experience the first time they hoist the mainsail for themselves.

“The first time they see that sail go up I can really relate to that sense of awe,” he explained. 

Looking back, it would be hard for Captain Jalil to imagine he would ever be teaching others about the sport he had fallen in love with as a child. For 15 years, Captain Jalil had worked in a corporate environment and sailing had just been a weekend hobby. 

“In 2017 I went through a big life change and I decided to quit my software job and just do boats fulltime,” he explained about when his sailing hobby finally pivoted into a sailing lifestyle.”I just knew that my career was taking up all my time and unless I quit, I wasn’t going to find the time.”

Captain Jalil started by leading kayaking tours and then working as crew on a day sail charter before eventually buying the day sail charter company he had worked for. Then he met Waymon Arnold, his boat Speculation, and Go Sail owner Genevieve Evans. A whole new facet of sailing then opened its doors to Captain Jalil. 

“I never realized how interesting– until Waymon introduced me to Genevieve— ASA instruction could be for me,” Captain Jalil said. “Once sailing and instructing came together through Genevieve for me it was a pivotal moment for me.”

What made this discovery so special for Jalil was how it combined two of his greatest loves. 

“I always thought I was going to be a teacher,” Captain Jalil explained.“It’s really like my two passions had really come together, it was a match made in heaven.”

As an ASA instructor for Go Sail’s Learn to Sail courses in the Virgin Islands, Captain Jalil truly feels like he’s found his calling in life. 

“I can’t believe how good I have it right now. I feel like I’m doing what I’m meant to do in the place I’m meant to do it,” he said. “This has been very fulfilling for me.”