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capt_douglas · 07-11-2010, 14:36

Uncle Sam chose it for me.

In 1968, at the ripe age of 20 and with a draft number of 3, I had several choices. I could do a 3-year hitch in the Army as a helo pilot or 4-years in the Navy. I chose the Navy because they were giving anyone who did well on the AFQT the rank of E-3 upon enlistment and the life expectancy of a helo pilot in Nam wasn't good. I was hoping for the Antarctic and wintering over, but the Navy decided that I was better used in NavAir. The rest, and 3 long deployments, began my love of the sea.

rhr1956 · 16-03-2011, 13:43

Post #31 From capt_douglas...I Googled his name and unfortunately I think I found him. It seems he passed away suddenly in December in Ft Lauderdale.Capt. Doug Abbott dies suddenly | The Triton

Forgive me if this is old news. RHR

Searanger50 · 16-03-2011, 14:18

It chose me.

At the tender age of 16 1/2 I joined the Royal Navy. I served 17 years, toured the world twice and went to war once (The Falklands. I was made redundant in 1992 as a CPOWEA (Submarines). At the time I thought I'd seen the last of the sea. Hell My wife and I even moved inland for the first timesince we'd met.

The kids grew up and moved out, we dreamed, we sold the house and moved onto a 37 foot motor cruiser. We both did out RYA Day Skippers Ticket. We sold this 2 years later and bought a wreck of a Dutch Barge (built in 1915) and have ben doing it up ever since. In this time we have been on fire 3 miles out to sea, been rescued by the RNLI (God Bless Them) and had numerous set-backs associated with owning a boat. Time to give up?

Not a chance. We are selling up buying a yacht, learning to sail and taking a boat around the world. Why?

The sea gets into your blood. Don't get me wrong. As a yachtsman both my wife and I are complete novices. I was and electronics engineer in the RN, not a seaman. We have lived on a boat for 6 years - all motor and all local inland and coastal. We have crewed on yachts - River Medway and Thames Estuary. I now have my Day Skipper practical and Yachtmaste Theory for sail but still have and enormous amount to learn. We hope to exchange our barge for a yacht this year. We plan to retire and set sail in 2 1/2 years time.People think we're crazy but the sea does get a hold on you. I left the RN in 1992 but still remember the salty smell, the night skys without light poloution, the excitement of entering a new place. We both looke forward to this.

Don1500 · 16-03-2011, 14:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhr1956

Post #31 From capt_douglas...I Googled his name and unfortunately I think I found him. It seems he passed away suddenly in December in Ft Lauderdale.Capt. Doug Abbott dies suddenly | The Triton

Forgive me if this is old news. RHR

This is one of the reasons I have decided to "chuck it all" and go sailing,now. On Dec 26 of 2009 my wife was diagnosed with terminal Gliosarcoma Cancer (Brain Cancer). After 13 gurling months she finally succumbed to the beast and is now finally pain free. During that year I made many decisions one of which was, life can change in an instant, live it now. I decided that I would quit my job, sell everything and not worry about how long the cash would last (make it last as long as possible, but don't expect forever) I figured if I was frugal I could live OK for 30 years on the money I had saved (with the house and savings), not great, but OK. Then I looked around for a way to do it. Sailing was always a dream, so why not? I started looking into it and found that a great life could be had for a relitive small yearly cost, (compared to a house, car, and all the other stuff usually involved with that life style.)
Remember this was all done with Cash On Hand + selling the house, no income and no other source of ready cash. Then the "other cash" I had started edging into my awareness, Insurance, hers and mine, the two paid for cars, and the three paid for motorcycles. The excess furniture (in other words, all my furniture). Also I would be able to make something on the investments I would have (At 5% I could spend what I had originally figured and the money would last forever). The upshot of all this is that I can safely pay cash for a reasonably nice 30-40 ft sloop ($30-$45K) and have the same amount left to refit her. This dream is becoming real. Last week I started spending a small anount of cash on things that I wouldn't need unless I was going sailing, really good deep sea binoculars with a compass, a rigging knife with marlin spike. Little things, but they make the commitment real. Also I put the house on the market, Sold one Car and one Bike, and a bit of the furniture. It's coming slow, but, like the tide, it's coming. I am getting serious about a list of boats I want to see when I sell the house. Which by the way will be my jumping off point. The house goes, I'm gone!

Blue Crab · 17-03-2011, 07:33

My father was the keeper of the Eddystone Light.

He was USCG and had duty on various lighthouses on the CA and Alaskan coasts. I spent vacations and summers with him from my beach home in Socal tho it wasn't called that back then. Grew up surfing and diving and sailing and fishing around Palos Verdes. Surfing legends Dewey Weber, Greg Noll and Hobie Alter were neighbors.

Lived on Oahu a long while, mostly in Ala Wai harbor. I never wanted to do anything else. Crewed on a lot of boats out of King Harbor and Del Rey. Played around the legal field but no water, no tgzzzz. Became a scuba instructor, commercial fisherman, and a school teacher and 50 other things. Always managed to stay a step ahead of monetary sucess. Am a whitewater and sea kayaker. My blood is 1/3 beer, 1/3 seawater and 1/3 clam juice.

Changed coasts to get away from all the people. Lived aboard for 20 years in Keys, and Coconut Grove. Now diving the Graveyard of the Atlantic out of Beaufort, NC, chasing younger women, and refitting new old boat for my last cruise round the bay of Mexico. I'm an Aquarian. I've had a really good time. I want my ashes sprinkled on the outgoing tide.

Thanks for asking. Buy ya a brew?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub0Jw...eature=related

barnakiel · 17-03-2011, 11:50

In my case, there was nothing that I did / that was done onto me that resulted in my sailing. It is OK the way it is and I could just as well do anything else. In fact I did, but it was boring (unfortunately, I get bored easily) and I quit. If I get bored with sailing, I will quit sailing.

I started sailing at 4 so now it is like 90% of my life I was on the boats, about the boats, dreaming of the boats or sailing them. I cannot say any particular skill or anything that I learned sailing or for sailing that could not be learned elsewhere.

If anything, then the way I sail and the way I see sailing and life in general were, if at all, influenced by my long years of dinghy racing when I was a kid / youngster and later by some formal education that I took from a maritime school. My work with the finance industry also helped - to manage larger projects, plan accordingly, mark progress, adjust the target, adjust the way, pursue and come out on top.

Overall I would say the personal traits that we are born with are prevalent. Some very unique individuals can develop somewhat, but this is very uncommon. This is probably because the ability to develop is yet another born in trait. You cannot develop the ability to develop, sorts of.

To me sailing is simply one of the things I like best, like a winter climb in the mountains or a long trek in a desolate area, and as long as I can be doing just this rather than the things I like much less, I am blessed.

Cheers,
b.

Charlie · 17-03-2011, 12:01

Have you ever done something for the first time and felt like you had done it your entire life. That's how I was with sailing. I enjoyed the stories of Jack London. I was 16 when my Dad bought a boat and we started sailing. I soon learned more then he knew about sailing and my knowledge kept growing. When the forestay broke on our boat I ran forward grabbed a halyard and secured it to the bow. I didn't even think about it. When we would do a round down in a race I could see what lines needed to be moved where to get the boat up and sailing again. The biggest problem I ever had was figuring out how to finance my cruising. I've almost got that resolved now but I wish I had taken a less traditional approach and just gone out and sailed.

masajista · 17-01-2015, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by capt_douglas

Uncle Sam chose it for me.

In 1968, at the ripe age of 20 and with a draft number of 3, I had several choices. I could do a 3-year hitch in the Army as a helo pilot or 4-years in the Navy. I chose the Navy because they were giving anyone who did well on the AFQT the rank of E-3 upon enlistment and the life expectancy of a helo pilot in Nam wasn't good. I was hoping for the Antarctic and wintering over, but the Navy decided that I was better used in NavAir. The rest, and 3 long deployments, began my love of the sea.

what a looooooong, strange trip its been... thanks to y'all for the great responses and interesting stories... and to you, 'Eternal Member' or 'Silent Key' as they say over the ham radio, thank you...

Casey

**JPA Cate** · 17-01-2015, 11:47

Casey,

You were gone from this thread for so long that CF thinks your 5th post was your 4th! So welcome back. ;-)

masajista · 17-01-2015, 12:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Casey,

You were gone from this thread for so long that CF thinks your 5th post was your 4th! So welcome back. ;-)

thanks Ann,

happy to be back and closer than ever now that I live in Santa Barbara, CA... if you are or anyone who is nearby ever needs a hand on board for a local day or weekend sail, please pm and let me know. I'm anxious to get out there with you and learn all I can...

Casey

FamilyVan · 17-01-2015, 18:24

How I got into it is a long boring storey. My son had an interesting introduction though. He was born at around 7pm on the Fourth of July. We brought him home to our live aboard sailboat full time at about 10 pm on the 5 th of July. Pretty cool.

Sent from my SGH-I547C using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Bobby Wandering · 19-01-2015, 11:09

I chose it!

I had wanted to sail since I was a kid, but was always afraid. Even for lessons. Then I had at least one woman at a time telling me it was a dumb idea. Then I got divorced. I thought now is the time. Took lessons in August. Terrified. Then started looking at and learning about boats and cruising.

The boat I ended up with is amazing. Beautiful old ketch. Pilothouse, windvane, new electronics, stuff I can't even identify. But a solid boat.

I'm in.

S/V Wandering Star
Tacoma, WA

It is what it is.

delmarrey · 19-01-2015, 15:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bobby Wandering

I chose it!

I had wanted to sail since I was a kid, but was always afraid. Even for lessons. Then I had at least one woman at a time telling me it was a dumb idea. Then I got divorced.

This is a very common event. I think it's time to start a new poll.

masajista · 19-01-2015, 16:47

oh yeah... tell me about it... I got so many hoops this industry is trying to get me to jump through for 'em before I finally get to get out and sail, I really don't have enough time to get married and then divorced before then...

...any Ideas for the new poll?