Why we sail

[SV_Harbinger]

So I've seen many people posting about getting into the life style, be it cruising or just living aboard so I was hoping to get a thread going as to our how's and why's with a little background to maybe make it easier for those in "transition" or even just to share.
So I guess I'll start everything off.
I've always been on or around the water, particularly salt water, and have always loved being on the water. I got my first experience with boat ownership when I was 14 (I saved money from mowing lawns and other similar endeavors) and bought a little 12' plywood boat, no engine, no sail, just oars (my father made it clear that if I wanted something I had to fund it myself) I grew up some joined the Navy, got married and while doing that got a little O'Day daysailor, and shortly after getting out of the Navy I upgraded to a C&C 25 and bought a house. Then the D word reared it's ugly head, so onto the boat I went, now for those of you familiar with the C&C 25 they are great boats, just not for living aboard... But she did the trick in a pinch and the marina shower did the rest.
So I got a studio apartment, and eventually bought another house and sold Atropos (the C&C 25, fun story about her name too) , even lived there for a few years but something was missing so I went looking for a boat with the intention of renting the house and moving aboard. I found Harbinger (thanks to a buddy who was still stationed in Kings Bay GA) bought her (changed her name, some how Sea Nymph didn't suit me) then brought her back to MA put her on Atropos' old mooring and went back to work doing weekends and such (similar to what I do now) but still something was missing.
Eventually it worked out that I was spending far more time on the boat and next to none at the house, so I decided to rent the house and just move aboard. That was 5 years ago, and in my opinion one of the best decisions I've made in a long time, I work less, live more, and am in general far more content. Even in a slip or on a mooring, there is something to be said for sitting in the cockpit relaxing, maybe having a wine/beer and watching the boats go by, or at least so goes my opinion....
I find I'm just happier on the water in general, and I'm getting close to having enough saved up to (frugally*) make the transition from full time live-aboard/part time cruiser to full time cruiser and while I could afford a "bigger better" boat I'm very content with Harbinger and plan on sailing her for many years to come...
* an expense rate of about 2k a month plus 4k a year, or current costs multiplied by 1¾

[gmakhs]

If you plan to sail with 2 people or solo doesn't worth to go over 34 feet , the bigger the boat the harder will be to handle .
Hope to meet you out there

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by gmakhs

If you plan to sail with 2 people or solo doesn't worth to go over 34 feet , the bigger the boat the harder will be to handle .
Hope to meet you out there

Just the opposite is true. The bigger the easier, I solo on a 62 all the time. The 53 was easier than our 45ft Hunter and the 62 is easier than the 53. The 62 is no more difficult than our 20 foot O’Day.

[gamayun]

I did a passage recently. It was hard, the seas were rough, and "fun" was never the word that came to mind, but every time I just sat on the rail to stare at the sea and to contemplate why was I there in the middle of nowhere, it just felt "exactly right." I was at peace, calm with the world, happy with my place in it. It's still hard to explain, but that's why I sail.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Just the opposite is true. The bigger the easier, I solo on a 62 all the time. The 53 was easier than our 45ft Hunter and the 62 is easier than the 53. The 62 is no more difficult than our 20 foot O’Day.

Sailing is fun, the lifestyle is fantastic and you get to meet lots of nice people. That’s why we sail.

[zeehag]

some have it in their blood some try to force it.... why does there need to be any REASON why sail.

[boatman61]

Coz its too far to swim..???

[OldManMirage]

I'm game, and I don't mind sharing.

I love the water. Not that I believe there's truly anything to it, but I was born a Pisces for what its worth. I love being near the water, in the water, under the water. I was born in Melbourne Florida, which was a great beach town. I surfed, my grandfather always had boats, my dad ran a Scuba shop. I joined the Navy, steamed over lots of ocean. Water, especially salty water, is just a part of me. I could not imagine living land-locked somewhere.

In the Navy I was stationed in Rhode Island for a while, and noticed sailboats for the first time. Fell in love with them. Bought a Skipper's Mate 17 after I got out and got married. Loved it, had many adventures. We traded it for a Catalina 27 and moved aboard for about 3 years. We loved it, had more adventures.

I have to admit I love it more than my wife. She likes it, enjoys it, but I love it. We sold the Catalina and bought a house and had kids. One is married and out and the other is getting close. Had other boats over the years, sail and power. Had more adventures, with and without the kids. Also did the RV thing for a while.

Now I have the Cape Dory 28, Miss Mirage, my other woman, my mistress, my companion to greater adventures. I'll spend the next several years tweaking her into beautiful shape and she'll be ready to take me anywhere I have the guts to go. My wife has no desire to cross oceans, or even the Gulf Stream for that matter, so the plan is she will join me here and there. Not the end of the story just the next chapter. My YouTube channel will show my progress.

I sail because I must ! That's the only way I can say it.

[thinwater]

Because it is fun, like riding a bicycle.

Because I can share it with family and friends.

Because I enjoy the mental challenges.

Because I enjoy both the excitement and the relaxation.

But mostly, just because it's fun. Nothing deep.

[Captain Bill]

Why we sail;

The engine is broken.

We're out of fuel.

It's an extremely rare occasion when the wind isn't coming from where we're going.

We don't need to be anywhere.

We're tired of the noise.

There's a race

[Mike OReilly]

For me, sailing is just a desirable way to move my home around in remote and beautiful areas.

I like sailing, but it is the cruising lifestyle that attracts me. Creativity, Learning, Adventure, Freedom & Cessation are the reasons I’m here. But there are other ways to live with these ideas. Sailing a smallish cruising boat is simply the best one I could come up with … so far .

[CharlzO]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

I have to admit I love it more than my wife.

Does she know this? I presume you mean the lifestyle and activities lol.

Personally, I find that my brain shuts off a lot when I'm on the water. I can go hours at slow speed with nary a thing to do, and yet I haven't dwelled on any of life's other issues and dramas. Not to mention the scenery can be quite spectacular.

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by CharlzO

Does she know this? I presume you mean the lifestyle and activities lol.

Personally, I find that my brain shuts off a lot when I'm on the water. I can go hours at slow speed with nary a thing to do, and yet I haven't dwelled on any of life's other issues and dramas. Not to mention the scenery can be quite spectacular.

Well, she likes the lifestyle and all that goes with it. She just doesn't care for the part in between the nice anchorages ! At least the longer passages. And the ones out on the ocean.

And I completely agree with the brain shutdown. Even with just my short river cruises I can sail all day and not feel like I have to do anything else.

[WanderingStar39]

Like many others here, I really am not happy without sailing. I read a great answer from a paddler when asked why he does it. Something like "Because it is both challenging and soothing, which is an irresistible combination"

[Tayana42]

There is something unexplainable about water. I can barely take my eyes off it. I’m transfixed when I see water running in a stream, seemingly still in a lake, flowing in a river eventually to the sea. I’m drawn to waves slapping on the shore and swells rolling endlessly around the world.

I love to float. Immersed in water, fresh or salt, I love to swim. On any boat, canoe, paddle board, dinghy, or mothership I am fascinated by buoyancy, by the raise and fall of this heavy object supported by liquid.

Have we ever really forgotten that we once crawled out of the sea before we were mammals and the sea is our birth mother? I never feel at peace away from my ancestral home.

My beautiful sailboat, moving in rhythm with the ocean, with the forces of the universe, lifts my body, my mind and my spirit. There is no other explanation. None is needed.