What got you into sailing

[Foolish]

Some 25 or more years ago I read a book about a Canadian who sailed around the world in the BOC Challenge. I just knew I had to do that. So about 14 years ago I said to the wife "You know, if I'm going to sail around the world, I'd better get a boat."

As God is my witness, one day I'll complete my dream!

[Boulter]

My father purchased an Albacore for use at the cottage when I was 17. By the next summer I had purchased a Laser I. Sailed that Laser hard up and down the 5 mile long lake until age 22 or so when home ownership, job and life in general lead me away for 25 years.

Then in late 40s I found myself staring out the 6th floor window of the Belleville hospital, recovering from cancer surgery, watching the sailboats. "I want to sail again".

Boulter

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[Greene]

As a young pup of 18 I wrote up a list of things I wanted to accomplish in my life. For example, marry a beautiful woman, build a house with my own hands, make lots of money and travel. Other than the "make lots of money" I accomplished everything on my list except learning to sail. I'd never been on a sailboat at 18, but they sure looked cool. I was approaching the 50 year milestone and decided that if I was going to finish my list I had better get started pretty soon.

I bought a $100 12' sailing dinghy to get started and now at 58 I have been cruising full-time for one year on our Island Packet 31.

Now about "make lots of money" .................... Nah, sunsets are free.

Mike

[sailndoug]

My Dad. He was a landlocked adventurous type from Missouri and made his way to Tampa in 1954, saw Tampa Bay and the rest was set in motion. Bought Rabls' book "How to Build a Boat in Your Backyard" and proceeded to do just that, an 18' wooden Pickaroon. 9 years later he was done and sailing on Tampa Bay out of Davis Island. My mom had sewed the sails out of duck cotton and sewed in the bronze hanks. He also built a 13' skiff with a centerboard and bowsprit which our family of 2 adults and 8 kids took to the Florida Keys when I was around 10. That was when I was hooked for life. We sliced through the clear water and headed for a distant island. Later in life I realized it was just a mangrove stand, but no matter...
Multiple sailboats and many sea miles have passed as a result of that singular moment when we were truly in tune with nature and as free as anyone can get.
Doug Vaughn
CSY 44 Walkthrough SV Eleuthera

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by sailndoug

My Dad. He was a landlocked adventurous type from Missouri and made his way to Tampa in 1954, saw Tampa Bay and the rest was set in motion. Bought Rabls' book "How to Build a Boat in Your Backyard" and proceeded to do just that, an 18' wooden Pickaroon. 9 years later he was done and sailing on Tampa Bay out of Davis Island.................................

Doug, A bit of a coincidence,- My family moved out of Missouri in 1951 and I spent first grade at Ballast Point Elementary School on Davis Island. I didn't start sailing until we moved to Ft. Lauderdale, but I was living on Bayshore Court off Bayshore Blvd. for a while. 'almost your neighbor!

[GoingWalkabout]

Living a stones throw from the largest most beautiful natural harbour in the world. Sydney Harbour. The greatest fun was my early days barreling at great speed accross the large blue expanse in hobby cats. When not sailing my weekends were spent body surfing at Bondi Beach or snorkeling around the rocks. I remember the first vessel I took the wheel of was a deep blue passenger ferry in Gipsland. I was 8 and for a good fifteen minutes I took the helm with Captain alongside.

[builder dan]

Parents sold family home when I was 13 and we spent 18 months sailing the south Pacific and Eastern coast of Australia then sailed home to New Zealand,Dont really know why I love sailing but I cant keep away from boats and now cruise a fair bit on my own yacht.It beats working anyway.

[Lohi]

Ever since i remember been drawn to the sea, and as i kid got my parents to enroll me in a sailing school in an optimist class.

That lasted for like a year and i stopped but it has always been in the back of my mind(daydreaming half my life about sailing around)

So when the opportunity presented itself last year i took it and after 10 minutes on the sea i knew it was a lifelong passion.

[gulfbreez]

For me sailing or boating in general = freedom, adventure, spiritual enlightenment.The atmosphere when your on a boat with crew will stick with you for life, I started boating when I was 10 yo in Florida, im 33 now and still hooked

[nautical62]

The older I got, the harder it got to live out of a canoe or kayak for a month or longer. It's also hard to cross the gulf stream and cruise the Bahamas by canoe.

[Captaink73]

I grew up in and on the Atlantic in South Florida and learned to sail from my grandfather. Read a lot of John Macdonald novels about Travis McGee, listened to an enormous amount Jimmy Buffett, and read way too many pirate stories as a kid. I realized early on that I have a gypsy soul and being land locked ain't my style. Dreamed about sailing the Caribbean as long as I can remember. Finally pulled the trigger on a 30' last year, now I spend as much time as life will allow on her.

[a64pilot]

Ability to travel to the places I want to and can afford, and the ability to retire early enough to do that traveling, back to being affordable, I had never set foot on a sailboat, but couldn't make the economics work on a big power boat just too much money in fuel.
If money were no object I'd most likely be on a big Trawler, Nordhaven or similar, my beginnings were on power boats, I was comfortable with power.
I'm no sailor really, a voyager hopefully. It started out as a purely logical decision on how to accomplish my intended goal, I had never been on a sailboat before and had a little disrespect for them that most power boaters have, whether they realize it or not.

I didn't become to enjoy sailing until after I had bought the boat and started sailing, now I enjoy just sailing and returning to where I left from sometimes, just sailing for the fun of it. Now I detest having to run that noisy Diesel, sort of a complete turn around.


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[sailorboy1]

I only got into sailing to travel, because I could take my house with me. My hope was that we weren't hate sailing/boating, but it turns out that we like sailing so it appears it will work out.

[m2244]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

...what I miss most about sailing as opposed to motoring is the feeling of moving in harmony with the sea, swish, swish, swish, particularly at night. When my career took me to the top of a mountain in Tennessee, I bought a 4' by 5' painting of night ocean sailing in the English Channel. I'm looking at it right now, and can't wait for the new paint job to be complete so I can head out of port again. Try it. You'll like it.

Well put

[m2244]

Originally Posted by daw_two

Last year, I met 5 women over the course of 7 months; all of them had an interest or connection to sailing. I needed to find out what sailing was all about. I've always enjoyed being around water --- lakes, river, beach, oceans, etc. and I enjoy fishing.

Took lessons in BVI in March. I'm hooked.

You met 5 women in 7 months, all interested in sailing? That sounds like a marketable skill or location to me.