When did you decide to start sailing?

[redhead]

Redhead's husband grew up fishing, sailing, building boats. Redhead first saw the sea at 12 years old and has never been able to be away from it since becoming an adult (hah!). Sailing, living aboard seems only logical under those conditions.....

[BHI_Guy]

Started on a Sunfish at 7 or 8 years old. Then my dad got an O'Day 22 when I was nine, and later a Catalina 27 when I was 11 or so. Sailed the big boat and a Sunfish until college, and then it became sporadic. Then I lived in landlocked locations for almost 20 years, and got married, had kids, etc, before buying myself a Laser, but quickly learned that lake sailing in the Carolinas is no substitute for ocean sailing. Decided last year to find an ocean-going boat, did so, and now am planning my trip to the Bahamas.

[Stardreamer]

Sailed in the Bahamas (Abacos) x5 weeks this spring. Amazing! Didn't start sailing until in my 30's when we started with a Catalina 22, then Islander 28, finally Endeavour 40. Husband died last year, but I had the pleasure of cruising on an Catalina/Morgan50' conversion with 2 friends. Gorgeous boat. Sailed beautifully. Hope you have a blast in the Bahamas. I am ready to go right now!

[lesterbutch]

I guess it depends on what you mean by "Sailing"! In the true sense having sails and driving forward by wind power or in the general sense like "Sailing time" is used for ships?

[BHI_Guy]

Stardreamer,

My condolences on your husband's passing.

I envy you your Bahamas trip. My plan is Abacos and then Exumas - how did you do the passage from Florida to Abacos? I'm thinking West Palm Beach to West End Grand Bahamas, and then via Memory Rock to Great Sale (anchor), and then to Green Turtle Cay.

I'm in process of fitting out the boat - mostly good, but a few things yet to do - new portlights, davits, replace some running rigging. I'm dedicating the next sailing season to ironing out the final bugs. Then Oct-Nov-Dec to West Palm and Jan-Feb for the passage. I'll of course wait for the weather window.

[Sea Dreaming]

When I was 7 my mothers co-worker took us out to sail in his new cruiser along the coast near San Diego. I was bitten by the bug then but treating the symptoms would not come about until I was 42. It's been 6 years of learning now and I can't imagine considering any other life. Being land locked, and not particularly well off, my experience has been limited so far. But even if I never "get out there" I wouldn't quit sailing.

[Twilight 2]

I bought a lake yacht in my teens and had a ball. My real passion though started in my 50's. A friend invited me on to his 45' boat for a weekend as stress therapy. From there I bought a Hartley 16 Trailer sailer, I added a 17' Venturer trailer sailer and now a 28' daydream canoe stern keelboat. I have a spare trailer sailer if you want it.

[GILow]

I started sailing when I was about 6. I decided I had to learn when my older sister stepped over board and walked ashore because dad was yelling too many incomprehensible nautical instructions at her. Thankfully I was able to figure it all out and get the boat home. I have sailed ever since.

I just had a strange thought. That boat was 7 feet long. Then when I turned 40 I bought a 42 footer. Does this mean I will have to buy a 50 footer in 6 years?

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Rustic Charm]

I liked the idea of having a boat and travelling around on it from watching a tv show when I was very young. Under ten I think. At 27 I became a cop and eventually started doing marine work, and so finally started to do some light motor work.

Then in the mid 90's I went out to assist an elderly couple that had apparently sailed from Canada and had hit a storm entering our Bass Strait, Tasmania, Australia. They were fine, the boat was fine, they were just exhausted and asked for help.

I was the skipper on the police launch and I took out a young constable to get on the boat with them. As neither of us knew anything about sailing a yacht we decided to take it under tow. One of us needed to go get on board but as he couldn't swim it had to be me. So for the next 8 hours we towed this sail boat back to George Town. Me on the yacht in incredible comfort eating lunch and hot drinks and hearing yarns and my collegue on a twin motorised cat getting pounded for eight hours. I was sold, sail boat is the way to go.

I was not in a position to finally try it until ten years later in 2010 when I first did a short four day course in Sydney called a competent crewing course (waste of money) and then later in the year I hired a Whitsunday Yacht for a two week holiday. That confirmed my desire to go sailing. Purchased my first and probably my only boat the following year at 51.

[Don C L]

...the first moment I pulled on a tattered rope and a clumsy flapping cloth suddenly took a graceful curving arc of beautiful white and my inanimate wooden flotsam awakened and took off scudding over the playful liquid... and I was suddenly desperate to find any way, any way at all, to make her go faster!

[StuM]

Originally Posted by GILow

I started sailing when I was about 6. I decided I had to learn when my older sister stepped over board and walked ashore because dad was yelling too many incomprehensible nautical instructions at her. Thankfully I was able to figure it all out and get the boat home. I have sailed ever since.

I just had a strange thought. That boat was 7 feet long. Then when I turned 40 I bought a 42 footer. Does this mean I will have to buy a 50 footer in 6 years?

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Nah, just wait until you need a 60+ footer.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by GILow

I started sailing when I was about 6. I decided I had to learn when my older sister stepped over board and walked ashore because dad was yelling too many incomprehensible nautical instructions at her. Thankfully I was able to figure it all out and get the boat home. I have sailed ever since.

I just had a strange thought. That boat was 7 feet long. Then when I turned 40 I bought a 42 footer. Does this mean I will have to buy a 50 footer in 6 years?

Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Oh, is that how it works? Well, that's it, there goes my dream of getting a Gloucester schooner!

[Stardreamer]

I believe that is exactly the course we ran. Not sure about anchoring in Great Sale on way down. Anchored in Great Sale x 4 days on the return leg. It's VERY quiet at G.S! However, every day from the beginning to the end of our wonderful voyage was incredible. You'll love it.

[GILow]

Originally Posted by StuM

Nah, just wait until you need a 60+ footer.

Well, that certainly adds a new terror to the fears of aging!

[patn44]

I was 30, had never sailed, never even in a power boat. Was dating a fellow that had a boat and he asked if I wanted to go sailing on the lake (Ponchartrain). He told me to hold the tiller while he did something with the sail. I put my hand on the tiller and fell in love....with sailing...not the guy. I've owned about 15 boats over the last 40 years (currently 3) and have lived aboard twice. Its a passion, a love affair. My favorite pastime when not working on or sailing the boat is walking the piers and looking at boats. I constantly look at adds for sailboats just to see the different ones.