What Is Your Sailing CV / Resume ?

[Adax]

Some threads recently had me wondering, how slow / how fast people get into the cruising lifestyle.

I read some of you where sailing as wee kids, whereas others sailed only walnut shells down the river as kids and never picked up a serious bug until short before retiring age and others yet just bought a boat and did it.

So when did you start ?
What did you do ?

Mine is easy . Walnut shells on the river ...

[Dame.n.Jess]

I started sailing singlehander dinghies in New Zealand when I was 11, I moved up to national competition when I was 12, I spent the next 4 years at national level. When I reached the age limit for that class I moved to skiffs, fun, fast and expensive. Then cars and girls came along and I tailed off in my sailing, mucking around at various regattas etc but nothing major, I moved to Sydney Australia when I was 24 and got on the front of an ocean racer and have spent the last 4 years playing bowman on a super competitive Bene First 45.

My wife has never sailed but she is hooked, I purchased our little Seawitch 1 year ago so she could learn how to sail, live and love boats. Prior to Seawitch I purchased a 16 foot skiff to try and teach my poor wife how to sail (Bad Idea number 16) we sailed for 25 minutes and capsized no less than 6 times. I then proceeded to sell the skiff and we got Seawitch.

We both have zero crusing experience, (yesterday was the 2nd time I have anchored in my life), We are absorbing everything we can about the subject. We are 70% thru our full refit and are starting to put everything back into the boat.

I would love to see 'who' the average cruiser is. Part of why we are doing this whole cruising lifechange is we want to meet adventurers, the suburbs dont hold a lot of appeal for us and the ocean has always called my way.

Damien

[sww914]

I started sailing at 18 in Lazers. At 30 I caught the cat bug and sailed Nacras in crazy conditions a LOT. During that time I started sailing everything possible all the time. I was one of the guys hanging around the waterfront always good to go no matter how bad it was, no wind or blowing 40, I didn't care. I got into auto racing for a few years and stopped sailing, I can't afford too many expensive hobbies. I started sailing again about 3 years ago and I'm more cautious at 45 than I was at 30 but I've retained most of my skills.
Now I have a full keel 40' cruiser, kind of the opposite of a beach cat, but I haven't sailed her yet.
Sailing is maybe the best way in the world to spend your time.

[Weyalan]

I never sailed dinghys as a kid. Hell, I never sailed anything at all until I turned 30. but I did grow up with lots of outdoor sports and developed a love for the outdoors.

I started crewing on a steel cruising boat for local beercan twilight races and spent aboout a decade sailing on this and several other boats before biting the bullet and buying my own boat 5 years ago.

[roverhi]

I built a sunfish style boat from a kit as a 12 year old. Sailed it everyday during the summers through High School. Sold it when I went to College and dindn't have the luxury of work free vacations. After college and as soon as I had enough money to make the payments, bought a Columbia 26 and sailed it around the Hawaiian Islands. When I got transfered to Norfolk, bought a Morgan 35 that I delivered from the factory outside, lived aboard and cruised the Chesapeake. When I got out of the service turned the Morgan into a Westsail 32 kit that my bride and I built in CostaMesa. Cruised around California for two years and then off to SoPac ending up in Kona a couple of years later. Dropped the hook in Kona and we are still here. Kids and other interests got me out of boating for 20 years or so. Got the boating bug a couple of years ago and bought a Pearson 35 in the Bay Area that I commuted to till I lost free Airfare with the Bankruptcy of Aloha Airlines. Sailed the boat solo to Kona this summer.

[Patient]

My father has been sailing all his life. So, I was lucky enough to get introduced at a young age.

When I was a kid we chartered with the Moorings when they first opened in the BVI many years ago. It was the most memorable part of my childhood and I knew even then that I wanted to be able to provide the same upbringing for when I too have children.

I went to sailing school every summer after that and later on in my teens crewed for 2 summers in the great lakes until I moved away for school.

After starting my own business in 2006 I decided 2 years ago I wanted to cruise when I was done with it and finally got back into the swing of things. Last year my GF and I completed all of our US Sailing and Colgate certs. This last May we bareboated with the Moorings in the BVI and it really sunk in that sailing flowed through my veins and she said, "Lets go for it."

We now have all of our assets up for sale and are looking patiently for our perfect cruiser. I am moving to Florida very soon and will be continuing the learning process while looking for our new home. GF is wrapping up Graduate school and will join me this summer all the while both of us deeply committed to learning as much as possble before our first rally.

[sailorboy1]

I've only been sailing 3 years. Got the idea while on vacation when I asked myself how I could travel more. So I told myself I needed a boat. But since I didn't think I would be able to afford the fuel I told myself I needed a sailboat. Other than a submarine I had never spent time on any boat!

Spent 2 years researching the idea of cruising and sailing. Read books and websites (including this one of course). Finally my wife and I took ASA lessons and got bareboat certified on a C&C-36. Then joined a local club and got a membership that got us time on Cal-33 and Pearson-34 boats and day sailed 3 months each weekend.

Then before the next season we got a Cal-39 and spent the next 2 years on the boat every weekend and when though the daysailing to longer trips to overnights etc. We would go out in rougher weather in steps and even went out a couple of times in conditions we really didn't want to for training. I have kind of a mental list of skills and things to experience that we work on.

Recently we traded in our Cal-39 and now have a Hunter 410 that we plan for our cruiser in a couple of years (soon as spring gets here and that white stuff melts away).

So unlike most I never sailed on smaller boats and the smallest we have sailed is 33 feet. And we had never sailed or boated till we took our first lessons 3 years ago. We started with the dream and am working towarded it and continue to work on our skills/knowledge. Never started out to be a sailor, just wanted to be a traveler.

[Skabeeb]

My sailing experience was on a sunfish at a KOA campground at 14 when I couldn't get the boat back to the dock for dinner (how do you turn this thing around)?

Both my wife and I grew up water skiing and fishing on our family's boats in the Midwest to owning our own power cruisers.

Our last boat was an Owens 38' that almost out us in the poor house. It seared the desire for a large boat from our souls for the past 10 years.

Since we live 600 yards from the ICW and one mile from the Gulf of Mexico, I secretly never lost the desire for a cruiser but this time I wanted a sailboat. My logic was that the 38 was slow and loud and why not go slow and silent?

While walking the dock at a local marina in search of a used sailboat to learn on, we met a captain who suggested we take sailing classes first then join a local sailing club which would give us a year to learn what we want in a boat.

We got Basic Coastal certified, joined the club and have sailed every week since November and are now planning the Barefoot class.

I am still scouring the classifieds looking for that perfect 33-38' boat that will become our dream boat. I think I need too sell the dirtbikes first....LOL!

So to answer the question, at 49 we decided to start sailing.

[multihullsailor6]

My father introduced me to sailing when I was 12 and since then it has been my main hobby interest - together with classic cars.

Progressed with dad's boats from dinghies to open keelboats and sailing cruisers as well as a waterskiing boat and a motoryacht. Was given my first sailing dinghy by a family friend when I was 14 and am now on my 8th boat, with the exception of 2 all being catamarans and trimarans.

I am now cruising full time on my 10.2m catamaran and currently in Gibraltar prior to a season in the Med. Have plans for my 9th boat in my head.

[witchcraft]

Started sailing in 1999 at 40 something...I'm not telling the something part. We had a 23 foot british built boat. Bought a larger boat, moved aboard full time, sail Lake Ontario every chance we get...Last year made the trek to the Bahamas. Wish I was there now.
Fair winds

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I've only been sailing 3 years. Got the idea while on vacation when I asked myself how I could travel more. So I told myself I needed a boat. But since I didn't think I would be able to afford the fuel I told myself I needed a sailboat.

Similar experience for me. Travel was my goal, boats made sense, fuel prices are prohibitive... bingo, sailing!

That was about 4 years ago now.. spent the first 2 years just reading and dreaming. Then I finally took a 2 day sailing class on a 25' boat on a small lake.
After that I bought a 14' sears jetwind which is similar to a sunfish... sailed that for a year.

I sold the dingy and got ASA bareboat certified on Lake Michigan on a Catalina 309 (101-103), and an O'day 39 (for the 104).

Bought my new sailboat at the end of season so I've never sailed it... Just hauled it out straight away, and now eagerly awaiting spring.

I'm sailing from Oxford, MD down to the Hampton Roads as soon as I launch the boat. That will be my first time sailing this boat, first solo sail, and first official 'cruise' can't wait...

[LakeSuperior]

Great question. I started sailing, without adult supervision in a 12' Penguin racing dingy in 1965 (I was 11) and then the next year a 14' Falcon (hard chine plywood) my father built in 1962 from plans he found in Popular Mechanics magazine.

[Livia]

I'm kind of "got into sailing late in life" and also "just bought a boat and started traveling". Started sailing in 2007. Bought boat in 2007. Started cruising 2010.

[Bash]

I earned sailing merit badge at the age of twelve, and won my first regatta at the age of 13. Been sailing ever since.

[maytrix]

I'm not cruising yet, but we now own a boat in the Sunsail Charter program and plan to take all of our vacation time on our boat!

With the options given, I had to say sailing since I was a kid. I started on small boats in camp and kept getting a little bigger. I then spent a summer working for a boat rental company and dealt with a 27' sailboat as well as numerous motor boats. friends of ours also had a 30' or so motor boat that we'd go out on over the summers.

Then more recently (last 7 years or so) my Dad got 2 Wave runners and we'd use them all summer in Cape Cod bay or Nantucket Sound. We used them more like boats and traveled all around.

On our honeymoon, my wife and I chartered a 27' motor boat out of St. Thomas (9 1/2 years ago) and went over to St. John. 3 years ago we did the same thing with friends out of St. John and visited the BVI. Seeing all the moorings, Sunsail and other charter boats it got me thinking - why couldn't we do this? So I did some research and submitted a resume with Moorings and got approved.

A year later (October 2009) we chartered our first boat with the Moorings - a 47' Catamaran. With the various experience I had previously, I don't think I ever slept on a boat prior to this! Needless to say, I was hooked and realized this was the life I wanted at some point. I just wish I had know earlier since we would have planned differently

Last year we chartered our 2nd Cat (46') with the Moorings in October. We then bought a used boat in the Sunsail program and made use of our first weeks of owners time last week on a Sunsail 384 Catamaran. Next trip we hope to use our boat - it was booked already this past trip.

So, we plan to spend the next couple years making use of our owners time and when we run out of time in the charter program, we'll see where we stand. We figure we'd like a few more years before we are ready to sell our house and live aboard.

We can't wait though and it was much easier leaving the BVI's this trip knowing we could go back so soon again