How Do You Afford the Time to Sail ?

[davers]

Hey everyone! I've got about 4 miles of sailing under my belt...yes that's right...4! And while I love it so far, and my second sailing class is this coming weekend, I have 1 question that the answer to may make me depressed. How can anyone afford to take the time off to go sailing? I would be on the Great Lakes...most likely starting from somewhere near Detroit. Would it take me weeks of sailing to get away from it all? I have this picture in my head of the Detroit River and the Great Lakes just over-flowing with speed boats, and young kids drinking, and beer cans floating in the water. Is that what it's like? Will I need to be able to take a month off from work just to be able to go sailing where 1000 other people aren't already at?

Dave

[daddle]

Head offshore. Those lakes are big. It will not be crowded.

And your 4 miles of sailing is 4 miles more than many cruisers do in a year...

[zeehag]

how can one afford NOT to take the time off work to relax and sail????? i am paid to stay away from work anymore--LOL.....

[Bash]

Originally Posted by davers

Would it take me weeks of sailing to get away from it all?

As a general rule, the moment I've got both sails up and drawing I'm "away from it all."

[sabray]

Im dillusional about time. Like tonight Honey Im running out to the boat Im going to fix this and set up that. Meanwhile at work a bus is down on the road one internet link has dropped out the assistant directors office has no ac and the repair is slowwwww. I thought deluded I would leave at 3 pm at 4 I thought I might have the bus back see a long run of duct work done and then the contractor installing sound proof seals on some doors says he wont be finished. Okay we schedule more time on a different day Im thinking 4:30 Ill be off at 5 Im throwing things in the truck I might need to finish the jobs I have planned at 6 Im sitting in traffic and by 7:30 Im in the yard. The outboard I was working on fires up and off we go. Now its 8:30 I have the tools and supplies together for the first job I should have already finished but I didn't because of all the other stuff. So now I have everything setup I will have to do better tomorrow. Leave earlier and then I can get this stuff done. Saturday morning my son and I go hiking and then we have to come back here to finish up the work that must be done. Sometimes I get inspired and sail late in the day/evening sometimes its a working weekend. Next weekend I get to go sailing because I havent really been sailing for a weekend for awhile. I have to be here friday evening because you know how time goes and I want to be off early. That usually works. Off to do some work so I can sail not this weekend but next. Its a game Im playing with myself but I sail more then most. Damn rat race.

[PieRatPeat]

Originally Posted by Bash

As a general rule, the moment I've got both sails up and drawing I'm "away from it all."

What he said. Most of my sailing is with my 14 footer on a small lake and can only dream of the time I'll be heading out into the Bay (let along off shore and on my way to the South Pacific) but even on the lake the moment I cast off I become totally focused on the externals (wind direction, depth, etc), I become "out there" and my mind starts clearing out the clutter. I will sometimes let the periods ashore go on too long so I'm fortunate to have a brother who shows up periodically to drag me off to water. If you can find a sailing buddy or club where there are folks it could help with the motivation, but rest assured you don't have to be that far off shore for the therapy to start taking effect!

[Ex-Calif]

It really is about prioritizing and setting your life up to fit your priorities in the proper order.

I'll never live in a house again. I live in a condo. I spent way too much time cutting grass and fixing a house to do the things that made me happy.

Work for almost all of us dependent upon it is obviously a priority that must be handled.

Family commitments are another big one.

I am a weekend and holidays sailor. I try to get all the personal stuff done during the week. I try to get the boat in shape on the haulout so that boat projects don't interrupt sailing - I take a week's vacation during this time to try and get all the stuff done that I can do.

I screwed up this year and have some critical maintenance that requires the boat to be out of commission. I am waiting for parts and when they arrive the following 2 weekends will be fixing the boat.

In the meantime I am renting a boat. I rented a J24 last weekend and got a 5 hour sail in. I couldn't imagine not sailing.

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

It really is about prioritizing and setting your life up to fit your priorities in the proper order.

It doesn't get any simpler than that.

For my wife and I right now, we simple plan a trip to go sailing. Only 27 days away now and we'll be spending 10 days sailing in the BVI.

We're working and saving and will eventually get a boat and eventually live aboard. The boat might come first and live aboard later or we may just do it all at once depending on how things work out.

Another key you hit on is getting things done during the week so you can enjoy your weekends. I work hard, but I play hard too and figure what's the point of it all if you can't at least enjoy your weekend.

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by maytrix

Another key you hit on is getting things done during the week so you can enjoy your weekends. I work hard, but I play hard too and figure what's the point of it all if you can't at least enjoy your weekend.

When I was a teen I "learned" to party. Maybe it is a "Saturday Night Fever" quote? "Friday nights are good. Saturday nights are better."

Like many teens I would sleep till noon. My Dad was always up at 6am on Saturday and Sunday. I asked him why he got up so early on his day off.

"All week I get up at six for those b*stards. On the weekends I get up for me."

That made a little sense then but makes total sense today. I still have good Fridays once in a while but I try to be up and about by 7AM on the weekends.

[Blue Stocking]

I keep Bluestocking on a mooring in front of my house. I often row the 50 yards, climb into the quarterberth, and sleep like I am in Heaven. I AM, away from it all.

[Stillraining]

Some of us don't "Afford" it as you say very well...It can be a stretch sometimes owning a boat and being able to carve out time to use it.

We actually bought our boat a few years to early in the sense of "Affording it"...but I had the cash and I would not have it now so Im glad we did.

Again some of us don't have a set amount of money comming in every month so strains and squeezes happen...you just have to be dead set that this is something you want to do.

With 3 teen age Girls around here carving out free time for much of anything is even harder...Hence the reason I stated a few years to early...for us ..but I wanted the bonding tool.

The tool got broken leaving the store but that's another story.

[maytrix]

Originally Posted by Ex-Calif

I asked him why he got up so early on his day off.

"All week I get up at six for those b*stards. On the weekends I get up for me."

That's a great quote!

I sleep a little later during the weekends but still try to enjoy as much time as we can. My wife makes fun of me because on vacation I am up at dawn That's the time I really live for so I always figure I might as well enjoy it all.

[Bill Lee]

Prioritize sailing and it will happen. I take about 60 days off in the summer. Sounds great eh? It is except the rest of my year sucks. I'm lucky I can do that - and with a pwe boat, my family gets to see many places. There's a price to be paid for everything. Oh, read some other threads here. cHEERS,
Bill

[Sandero]

I have had Shiva for 25 yrs and have used her in multiple ways at different times in her life: weekend cruiser, day sailor, offshore passage maker, weekend "home", live aboard cruiser and live aboard dockside.

Shiva is pretty much my weekend activity these days as I am living on land and work (occasionally) and have land based obligations and activities - such as entertainment or politics or family for example. Lots of Shiva time is associated with maintaining her in top condition and ready to sail. I like to think she is our escape in many ways - from the hum drum, from the madness of NYC, from the noise, traffic and smells of urban or even suburban life, or even from a disaster should it strike (not to be too doom and gloom).

I like all of the time on the boat, with the boat, under the boat even when I complain about tasks such as painting or waxing or cleaning. It's all therapeutic in a different manner and keeps you "in shape" physically and mentally. The latter is about solving problems which are quasi unique to your particular boat because no two boats are the same so you need to work out your own solutions.

And then there is the incredible joy associated with sailing, in tune with nature and unconnected to the concerns of the land based world attached to your horizon (unless you can get far enough away and free yourself from even that).

I can't imagine not having this relationship with my boat and the sea and am so fortunate to have been able to both afford it (barely) and carve out the time to experience it in all the ways noted above. What an an incredible gift we give ourselves when we discover sailing. Land lubbers don't get it... and that's fine with me.

[davers]

Wow, thanks for all the responses guys! What a great community! It sounds to me as if anytime with the boat, either on or off the water, is time well spent. I guess I should have realized that because as soon as we left the channel at Lake St Clair, it was amazing! There were a few other boaters out, but it wasn't like we were rubbing elbows, we were very much alone on the water...it was great!

Thanks again for the replies!!

Dave

P.S...I can't wait..this Sunday is my second lesson!!!!