Sailing

[MexicoHusky]

Any sailing enthusiasts on the Yard?

I frequently think about what I do when I retire. I'm about 15 years away still. I've considered buying an RV. Living minimally and traveling the country.

I was just thinking sailing may be a neat idea as well. With 15 years to go I have enough time to gain the proper experience. Start with some ASA classes. See if it's something I might like to do.

I'd like to sail from Duluth to NYC. Maybe down to the Caribbean. Stuff like that.

Any sailors on the Yard? Good idea? Bad idea? General thoughts.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Luke's dad knows what's up...

 

[Excalibur]

Your comment about doing your own maintenance. Is that for financial reasons? Too expensive otherwise?

Yes, but less so for sailboats.

 

[Excalibur]

I grew up with a small sailboat and now own an older power boat (with newer engines).

Sailing is great, but you need to have a crazy amount of patience if you're sailing to get somewhere and don't have any wind. Even with a sailboat, if it's one big enough to take on the trips you're describing the maintenance costs will be up there (inboard engine, rigging, head etc).

Power boats are ridiculously expensive to operate and maintain, and you need to be willing to accept that and also accept that you won't get to use the thing as often as you want to. But for me, there's enormous appeal to the concept of the mobile beach home. One weekend, you have a place on Block Island. The next weekend, you are in Montauk, or the Vineyard, or Jamestown.

 

[nomar]

Luke's dad knows what's up...

That is the first thing I thought of. This is the second:

It's easy to grin /
When your ship comes in /
And you've got the stock market beat /
But the man worthwhile /
Is the man who can smile /
When his shorts are too tight in the seat

 

[StllH8L8ner]

That is the first thing I thought of. This is the second:

It's easy to grin /
When your ship comes in /
And you've got the stock market beat /
But the man worthwhile /
Is the man who can smile /
When his shorts are too tight in the seat

"Well don't just stand there, get some glue!" My favorite movie of all time.

 

[Baltic]

I've seen lots of people on YouTube document their trips across the Atlantic. Ever consider such a trip? The individuals I see on YouTube seem very casual about it all. It seems pretty daunting to me.

Prankster makes excellent points. I have never had a sailboat that I would feel confident enough with to make a transatlantic crossing, nor someone who I would feel safe sharing such an adventure.

Experience is absolutely critical on the water. Being on the water In rough weather with wind blowing 50 or 60 mph for a sustained period of time is totally physically and mentally exhausting. One of the reasons I have sailed the coast is so I could avoid really violent weather and head to a safe harbor.

On the other hand there is nothing as relaxing and more serene than sailing along on a beam reach on a summer afternoon. Definitely give sailing a try in your local area and see how you and your family enjoy it. If everyone isn’t on board for the adventure it isn’t going to work.

 

[prankster]

Prankster makes excellent points. I have never had a sailboat that I would feel confident enough with to make a transatlantic crossing, nor someone who I would feel safe sharing such an adventure.

Experience is absolutely critical on the water. Being on the water In rough weather with wind blowing 50 or 60 mph for a sustained period of time is totally physically and mentally exhausting. One of the reasons I have sailed the coast is so I could avoid really violent weather and head to a safe harbor.

On the other hand there is nothing as relaxing and more serene than sailing along on a beam reach on a summer afternoon. Definitely give sailing a try in your local area and see how you and your family enjoy it. If everyone isn’t on board for the adventure it isn’t going to work.

In 1972 ( my sophomore year at UConn), I participated in the Newport to Bermuda race.

Hell of a race. 55mph winds for 48 hours, 30 foot seas. You can look it up.

Imagine driving a 60,000 pound truck off the side of a 3 storey building, every 2 to 3 minutes for two days.

Not for sissies.

People finished that race with black and blue marks on their eyelids, from being smuck with raindrops moving at 60 mph.

650 miles, offshore, point to point. No safe harbor within 350, miles in any direction, minimum. You literally are your own floating island in the middle of the ocean.

You have what you have, in terms of tools, spare parts, etc. Plus whatever skills you (and your fellow crew) bring along with you.

Something breaks, you must fix it with your own skills and whatever you have on hand.

Think of it a bit like that movie Apollo 13, but without mission control as backup.

Fall overboard?

Oh, you are gone.

 

[J187Money]

Two things came to mind immediately:

1) Wedding Crashers
2) Step Brothers - "Boats and Hoes"!!