Quote:
Originally Posted by tonforty
I am very grateful to have found the CF. The lifestyle is all I ever think about anymore.I feel trapped like a rat waiting for my boat to come in!
My intention was to fully vest in the business I'm in (Jan 1 2014) but I just can't stop my brains thinking of sailing. I guess I have the bug.
My wife and I are very adventurous. I think we will fit right in!
Never sailed. He He
I want to go kinda big and GO NOW
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Ton, don't sit home and mope -- get out there and go sailing! Use this time to prepare to make your dream real --
Texas is a great venue in which to learn to sail.
I lived in
Texas for 22 years, about 16 of those in the Dallas area. I was on the
water sailing almost every weekend. You maybe be surprised to discover that you have a large and active sailing community all around you -- all you have to do is make the effort to get involved!
The DFW area has the three essential elements needed for a viable sailing community:
water,
wind, and
money. Texas has one of the highest concentrations of sail boats on the planet. And, yes within a one hour radius drive radius of Plano you have loads of sailing opportunities.
Just north of you lies one of the largest man made lakes in the world (number 3 as I recall) -- Lake Texoma -- 89,000 acres at normal pool level. Not only is it a great place for
day sailing and
racing, but it is a great mini-cruising ground. Lots of good
anchorages, a chain of islands with sandy beaches, and several large
marinas (Grand Pappy Point had something like 1,200 slips when I was there and that was ages ago).
There are also several other large man made lakes in the DFW area with active sailing communities.
There is a very active sailing club located at GPP named Texoma Sailing Club (See
Texoma Sailing Club). Very active and friendly group. I raced so much with TSS, and other clubs in the area, that I had to sometimes take vacations from sailing just to recover. Texoma Lakefest
Regatta is a huge and fun event. Last time I crewed in it years ago there were over 100 boats
racing.
And that's just in your immediate area: several other venues in inland Texas also have good sailing venues -- like Lake Travis in Austin. And, we have not even touched the Texas coast yet -- the Kemah/Seabrook/Clear Lake area has one of the densest concentrations of sailing vessels in the world. Corpus Christi is also a great sailing venue -- used to keep my previous boat there.
Google "Harvest Moon Regatta" -- a big fun event every year "racing" along the Texas Coast -- again with over 100 boats the last time I ran it in 1996.
If you want a sailing experience that you can only get in a few other locations on the planet then
Google up the ELISSA. She's a barque rigged ship built in 1877 and still sailing! Better yet, volunteer to crew on her.
Lots of sailing schools in Texas too, both inland and along the coast. Just visit the American Sailing Association (ASA) at
www.asa.com for a list of schools in your area.
You could not be in a better location. I should know, I learned to sail in north Texas and now live full-time in the NW
Caribbean.
We humans have the ability to create our only reality, but you must act to make it happen!
Just do it!