What got you into sailing

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by Time Theory

As a new older guy who is trying to learn to sail, I was wondering how you became involved in sailing and why you enjoy it?

How?

Easy. Being the son of a man who attended a naval-academy high school (with school schooner), and who later taught my brother and I sailing and navigation from age 7 on the lake and ocean in our boats. Yes, spoiled.

Why enjoy?

People tend to enjoy activities learned at a young age. During the formative years. When learned / experienced at that age those activities tend to stick with you throughout life. Also, young children tend not to "overanalyze" of dissect things, and just enjoy great life activities /experiences purely through the sheer fun or beauty that they offer; i.e., no "adult" thoughts or worries to "muck it all up".

[thinwater]

Watched the Hobie 16 nationals sailed of the beach in Cape May, New Jersey about 35 years ago. I rented a Sunfish a few weeks later and bought a beach cat for the next summer.

[robwilk37]

want to travel but hate to fly...

[knockabout]

child slave boat crew/repair/later fuel cost for long passage

[Hydra]

My mother's family was sailors: my grandfather had been a Grand Banks fisherman, in the time of dories. My father had (and still has, at 81) a passion for sailing. And I lived not far from the sea. As far as I remember, I have always been interested in boats. Then, I read Moitessier and some others.

When I was 12, my uncle, ex merchant marine officer, bought a small sailing boat, so I had the opportunity to go on the water, at last.

Alain

[daw_two]

Last year, I met 5 women over the course of 7 months; all of them had an interest or connection to sailing. I needed to find out what sailing was all about. I've always enjoyed being around water --- lakes, river, beach, oceans, etc. and I enjoy fishing.

Took lessons in BVI in March. I'm hooked.

[phydeaux]

Fatty Knees dinghy and a Grandpa who wanted something for a hyperactive kid to do. His plan was simple: let me be the first kid in my little tribe who could row, and when that was too slow, rig the sail and push me off the dock. Three wars, two degrees and 65 years later, still sailing at least once a week.

[mobjackjohn]

Started surfing as a kid...fell in love with the ocean ...the life and smells ...the roll of the sea... I read all the great sea novels ...from Melville to Hiscock ...Tristan Jones...Robin Lee Graham etc... Went out and got a sunfish for $75.. Bam!! I was hooked. Now 45 years later (14 sailboats) I'm still sailing weekly here in the Chesapeake Bay (and elsewhere) ...and loving (and still learning) every minute.

[jongleur]

My mother loved to sail. When I was
about 8 years old, she took
me in a rented Sabot the length of Newport
Dunes downwind. She didn't know
how to get back upwind, so we pulled it
in the shallows back. The next year she
and I took sailing lessons from the YMCA.
I've been sailing ever since. About 5
decades.

Love to read others' experiences. I've
read just about everything in Dewey
Decimal System 910.2 (travel and
sailing adventure)

[Mark Stillwell]

Spring 2000, I was coming off a 2 yr. special assignment where I was working evenings and most weekends, I was looking for something to do with family to keep me from working weekends again.

I had sailed Sunfish at 4-H camp years before. Bought a Starwind 223 and a how to sail book. Took it to the lake and loved it. A year later we sold it and bought a Beneteau 285. Loved it.

We went to the Chicago Strictly Sail in January 2003. Suz saw the B331 and bought it! We loved it!

In 2013 we decided we wanted to sail the Caribbean in retirement, so sold the 331 and bought a B393. I retire in about 18 months, move to Florida or a refit then off to the eastern Caribbean!

[Don C L]

We had grown up boating, river trips, fishing, but never sailing. In high school I took a sailing class and when I found out a little piece of cloth could make you go zipping over the water, I was hooked. Later when my dad talked about his dream to row a dory down the coast of California I just carried that to the next logical, a little faster, a little more comfortable, step... and the more sail area, the more speed, the more I was hooked! Now I am very content at a 20 degree heel, 6 knots or so, laying in the cockpit on the leeward side and listening to some jazz.. maybe a cold beer is in there somewhere...

[Paul J. Nolan]

Born into it. Great grandfather had a gaff-rigged yawl on Lake Erie over a century ago. Great uncle was Star sailor (#45), father was an Island Goat.

I was the first Lightning sailor, however!

Paul

[JPA Cate]

What a lot of lovely stories!

Mine is different, after my ex left me, a woman friend invited me to crew for a couple of skippers for whom she crewed. I was in my late 30's. As it happened, Jim kept his boat across the dock from one of those skippers, and we met on that other boat. The rest is history.

Pat, if you're reading this, thank you so very much.

Ann

[El Pinguino]

My Dad built me my first sailboat behind the centercastle of a T-2 tanker ( Stanvac Manila) from a book of plans published by 'Popular Mechanics' in .. I think.. 1956.

But I had been around the water since I was hatched so not much hope for me to ever lead a normal shoreside existence .....

[jeepbluetj]

Met a friend at work that owned a Columbia 5.5 out of King Harbor, So California. He taught me to sail - taught me very well, I may add. We double handed full-on spinnaker races. I crewed on that boat, a few J-24's, etc.. for awhile. Got married and was restricted to Lido 14's on the lake for 10 years or so. Recaught the bug and bought a Catalina 30 for 'experience.' If so far put about 2K miles on that old Catalina with lots of daysails and trips to Catalina.

I love to sail.

Found a pic of what looks like somebody singlehanding a 5.5 with a chute up:


The 5.5: Gorgeous boat. Looks faster than a jet fighter. Slow as as sail...

Working foredeck without any lifelines at all... Ahh... I was SOOO much younger then...