Sailboats - More Than Something To Sail

[shorebird]

Sailing connects you to the sea more than anything else can. You live on the sea, you travel by the sea, and sea breezes propel you. You get spray in the face, and taste the salt, you fish and crab and eat by the sea. You sleep on it, and watch the sun rise and set on the sea. You drink wine and toast with your sailing friends, tell stories about the sea, and always, always, sail away for more high adventures.

[Me-and-Boo]

I try to explain to others in a simple sentence that wraps up everything posted so far and much more.
I like to sit on her and enjoy a very nice drink while watching the sun set. Whether or not there is a sunset, or sunrise or I am on my boat.

[Bash]

I like it all. Sailing just to sail. Kayaking. Diving. Reading books in the cockpit. Grilling fish on the BBQ. Zipping around in the dink. Watching the terns/cormorants/pelicans feed. Watching the sun go down and wondering whether I should take the spinnaker down. Going to sleep on the hook. Waking up facing 180 degrees from where I went to sleep. Not knowing where we'll anchor tomorrow.

But yeah, the sailing's good too. Making hull speed in only 13 knots of breeze, snapping off a perfect gybe, dipping the rail and not caring that you should have reefed five knots ago, reefing down all the way and screaming along in 30 knots true without a worry in the world.

Catching sight of another green flash.

I like it all.

[SteveT]

I spend my working life 'sailing' on a large oil tanker for 3-4 months at a time and have been doing this for 34 years and have covered an awful lot of sea miles. I see lots of interesting places from a long way off many of which I'd like to see more closely. The best way to do that is from a small yacht. My wife enjoys the relative solitude as well so we sail to visit lonely anchorages wherever we can. I'm afraid the social aspects are well down the list.

[Ex-Calif]

The only suckie part is the hard lessons.

I may beat myself up a bit much but I internalize my mistakes and carry them with me. The times I have been scared by doing something stupid provide a shot of adrenaline at the time but I go over things again and again thinking, "How could you be so stupid." I guess I am supposed to internalize these things and keep them in my experience bag but they do suck...

- almost lost my kid overboard
- almost broached and hit other boats flying the asym the first time
- almost hit a ship after losing all way by pinching too much
- knocked down by wake turbulence
- broke the stay and almost lost the mast
- got run down by a thunderstorm from behind with the 150 genny out, that wrapped the furling line, that made furling impossible, that made the boat almost uncontrollable that made rounding up head to wind a mighty ride, that resulted in staying head to wind in a thunderstorm flogging sails while unwrapping the genny furler, that meant I was distracted from reefing the main that meant zooming around in 45 knots for 45 minutes with too much sail out and a severely unbalanced helm
- entered and stayed in a restricted area at night after repeated warnings by a gunboat because I was reading a chart and light buoys wrong - glad I wasn't shot!
- grounded a couple of times. No big deal but avoidable

Don't like the scary things...

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

The only suckie part is the hard lessons.

I may beat myself up a bit much but I internalize my mistakes and carry them with me. The times I have been scared by doing something stupid provide a shot of adrenaline at the time but I go over things again and again thinking, "How could you be so stupid." I guess I am supposed to internalize these things and keep them in my experience bag but they do suck...

- almost lost my kid overboard
- almost broached and hit other boats flying the asym the first time
- almost hit a ship after losing all way by pinching too much
- knocked down by wake turbulence
- broke the stay and almost lost the mast
- got run down by a thunderstorm from behind with the 150 genny out, that wrapped the furling line, that made furling impossible, that made the boat almost uncontrollable that made rounding up head to wind a mighty ride, that resulted in staying head to wind in a thunderstorm flogging sails while unwrapping the genny furler, that meant I was distracted from reefing the main that meant zooming around in 45 knots for 45 minutes with too much sail out and a severely unbalanced helm
- entered and stayed in a restricted area at night after repeated warnings by a gunboat because I was reading a chart and light buoys wrong - glad I wasn't shot!
- grounded a couple of times. No big deal but avoidable

Don't like the scary things...

Just don't panic!

[cfarrar]

I can't do better than Bash's post!

[David_Old_Jersey]

For me, simply stepping onboard means I have arrived at my destination.......whether that involves sailing, snoozing or just general faffing around onboard.

The potential for sailing over the horizon is also an attraction - even though the novelty of foreign lands long since worn off and (IMO) better and cheaper ways to travel over an extended period for that.......

[sailorboy1]

Impressed how many appear to be having a zen experience

Like I said at the start we like to sail just to sail so maybe the zen thing is universal (as long as the weather is good)

[skipmac]

For me, the attraction of sailing is many things. I love sailing itself but more as part of the journey, not just to sail around for a day and back to the dock. I love being on the water in any way and a sail boat is my preferred way to do that.

I love travel and a sailboat is a way to see the world but have your own home at the same time. I think traveling by boat, even considering the cost of owning a boat, to be economical for long term travel.

I really enjoy all challenges and skills required to be a sailor: carpentry, plumbing, meteorology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, geography, astronomy, chemistry, just about every realm of knowledge is useful in owning, maintaining or sailing a boat.

I love those magic moments when you have the perfect day, the perfect breeze, dolphins playing at the bow, the first glow of sunrise after a long night watch, landfall after a long passage, spotting the loom of a distant light on a dark night telling you "here you are, on course and safe".

I love meeting other boaters of all types. Boating is a great leveler and puts you in touch with people you would never meet or speak to in other circumstances. I have met and enjoyed talking boats with bums whose small boat was all they owned in the world and movie stars whose large yacht barely put a dent in their petty cash fund.

Just writing all this is killing me. I really need to finish the overhaul and get the boat back in the water.

[Waterway Guide]

I'm with you too, Don Lucas. I enjoy a good sail, but our boat is our waterfront cottage that we can move wherever we want to be.

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Impressed how many appear to be having a zen experience
Like I said at the start we like to sail just to sail so maybe the zen thing is universal (as long as the weather is good)

I tend to agree. I am constantly awed by the things I see when I'm on board. Simple things that can mean so much:
THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: WHAT A LITTLE MOONLIGHT CAN DO
I don't have a TV on board and never felt the need for one. I do have a radio and occassionally play music from time to time. But, find even that can sometimes be too much of a distraction and cause one to miss some of what is going on around the boat. Masking the call of a bird, the splash of a school of fish etc... I like how one even notices things like changes in the weather. Things like the afternoon sea breeze arriving, the sound of thunder in an approaching weather front etc... I often feel sorry for those on land who will never get to have these experiences and am so glad that I am able to.

[mrohr]

Wow! If I didn't already own a boat ,I would be selling out to get one ASAP after reading all these great comments. Every one of them resonates in my soul.You guys haven't missed much.

My boat is my personal gymnasium,I lose fat and gain muscle every cruise (esp. single-handing).Give me a month aboard and I'm 20 years younger!Even my thoughts are younger and strengthened.

I love learning about myself and this fantastic universe we are sailing through;when that stops I'll know I'm dying,till then I'm truly living.

Adventure! Where else can a person of ordinary means achieve true adventure by just casting off the lines? You say you don't feel the thrill of adventure on your boat? Well you are just not sailing far enough, just go past your personal horizon and I'll guarantee the adventure part.Man, do I really need this part,but remember the adventure is rarely fun while your having it!

My boat is my man cave,respite from this weary world,but I always have room for a laughing fellow rover!

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

Impressed how many appear to be having a zen experience

Like I said at the start we like to sail just to sail so maybe the zen thing is universal (as long as the weather is good)

Not everyone needs (nor is seeking) Woo based self delusions to be happy or content. YMMV.

[nautical62]

My sailboat is mostly something I work on, with some short cruises between periods of maintenance.

For me it's also about travel. Any boat that allows me to travel the Bahamas would probably be acceptable. The occasional day of glorious sailing is just an added bonus.