Sailing Story: Neal Parks

The allure of travel drives many people into sailing, including Neal Parks.

“The ability to access any coastal city via a vessel was very exciting to me,” he explained.

It was about 10 years ago he set off for the Caribbean and sailed a monohull for the first time. 

“When the boat started to heel is when I realized it was something I was really going to enjoy,” he said.

From that moment, sailing wasn’t just travel anymore. It was a lifestyle he wanted to live. He went on to spend six months aboard a trimaran, sailing it from the Bahamas to Florida. While he appreciated the time on the water, the boat itself never quite matched that first monohull feeling he’d fallen for.

He eventually followed that pull back to the beginning, finding a sailing school in Florida that taught on Catalina 22s. That decision became a turning point. 

“I worked way up into an instructor position,” Neal said. “I’ve taught a lot of people that were nervous and having an instructor on board is key to alleviating that stress because I know what’s going on, nothing bad is going to happen.”

Over time, teaching became just as meaningful as sailing itself. Still, one of his most defining moments came when he finally set out alone.

“The first time I single handed a boat [is my favorite sailing memory]. It was very freeing to know that I had enough knowledge and ability to take the boat out,” he said. “I circumnavigated a small island. It was very liberating.”

Now, Neal is bringing that experience to a new setting, teaching sailing on Flathead Lake with Go Sail. It’s a noticeable change from where he’s taught before, but one he’s ready for.

“I’m definitely a fan of places it doesn’t snow in the winter,” he laughed. “But I’ve done spring, summer, fall in Alaska and I grew up in Michigan so I’m used to places with seasons.”

For Neal, Flathead Lake will be familiar in spirit but new in scenery. It’s his first time in the area and only his second visit to Montana. However with years of offshore cruising, liveaboard experience, and plenty of ASA teaching hours across a wide range of conditions, he brings a depth of real-world sailing knowledge that will translate into calm, confident instruction on the beautiful waters of Flathead Lake.