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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/29/2013 : 06:34:04

First day off in 9 days. The weather's crap. Somebody explain to me why I own a sailboat?

John Russell
1999 C250 SR/WK #410
Bay Village, Ohio
Sailing Lake Erie
Don't Postpone Joy!

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 06:41:40

I spent the week on the boat in storms and then flat water, windless days. Got the bottom scrubbed, and deck cleaned and spent one night experiencing the most incredible thunderstorm. Read slept a lot and needed the rest. Swam a lot... and it rocked.

Felt like this was my view for a week...

There's always something to do... ( beats working on the house.. which is what I'm back to )

Edited by - redeye on 05/29/2013 08:07:45

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 06:53:25

I find weather to be a double edged sword... I know how you feel, and get what you are saying... but one of the coolest sails I ever had was in March in a snowstorm, in 25-30mph with my father on his 27 foot US Yacht. Weather is a matter of attitude.

Last year I got one of those "perfect wind" sails, in a rainstorm. I donned the foul weather gear, and went sailing anyway. To my surprise a dockmate took out his J/22 and it was just the 2 of us on the lake for the day. Winds were 12-14... steady, broad reach down, and close reach back. Perfect wind speeds, and direction. It was a wet sail for sure, but was warm, but not uncomfortably so...

Take a chance... you might be surprised.

Edited by - on

redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 07:09:22

Sailing sucks! Let's just own up to it. There, I said it. Imagine your frustration when you live ON your boat and never sail unless destination oriented because the weather is wrong, too far out a narrow channel, low tide, too hot, rain, three hours to stow the boat. Ad nauseum...

Big trawlers go out more often. They turn the key and go. We have other concerns.

Sten

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 08:11:39

But.. then... I would have missed this.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 08:28:56

As do I, under cover yesterday in a light rain and chilly, fluky breeze... No sailboats out, and this is Mystic! The tourists were thrilled when I made the drawbridge open (twice)--I was in lots of pictures. (Cars and trucks weren't so thrilled.)

But John, I'll refer you back to Kenneth Grahame...

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 09:18:43

Ray's right, John's right, Sten's right and of course, Dave's right. I'm taking Kenneth's advice. At least the oxidation on deck will get abated some.

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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 09:48:47

"After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working."
Kenneth Grahame

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OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 10:15:39

I know sailors in Dallas, Phoenix and San Diego and they all look forward to cloudy days.

Ya don't know what ya got til it's gone.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 12:43:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 Sailing sucks! Let's just own up to it. There, I said it. Imagine your frustration when you live ON your boat and never sail...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

If I'm on my boat, the sails are up. If the sails aren't up, I'm not on my boat.

Maybe it's just me, and the few other hardcore singlehanded sailors in my marina, in that it's all about just actually sailing. No sleeping, lounging, cooking, tinkering, anchoring,...just burying the rail in the water and heading 10-20 miles offshore. I sometimes can't wrap my head around those who'd rather sit on their boats tied up in the marina from sun up to sun down when the wind and weather are perfectly magical.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 13:40:27

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 I sometimes can't wrap my head around those who'd rather sit on their boats tied up in the marina from sun up to sun down when the wind and weather are perfectly magical.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">...just as I can't wrap my head around baking in the sun watching NASCAR pseudo-street-cars ("Toyota Camries"--ya, right) going around and around, hoping they'll crash at 200 mph, and/or a fight will break out in the pits.

To each his own.

Single-handed sailing had limited appeal to me--I mostly enjoy doing things with and for other people. After my Admiral left this earth and my new partner turned out to be 90 miles from home and very busy as a realtor (16/7), sailing became more fun on other people's boats, while motoring got us out on the water in less time, somewhat irrespective of weather. Thus, "over to the Dark Side" I went...

Life's a compromise.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/29/2013 : 18:02:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 Single-handed sailing had limited appeal to me--I mostly enjoy doing things with and for other people.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

When I first got into sailing, it was indeed a family and friends affair, good times were had by all for many years, but over time my enthusiasm for sailing grew while it waned for others. Such is life, but just as I encourage and fully support the differing passions of those around me, I'm lucky in that they support me and my passion for sailing.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 06:31:50

I remembered.

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redviking
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1771 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 08:51:57

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dlucier
 <blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 Sailing sucks! Let's just own up to it. There, I said it. Imagine your frustration when you live ON your boat and never sail...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

If I'm on my boat, the sails are up. If the sails aren't up, I'm not on my boat.

Maybe it's just me, and the few other hardcore singlehanded sailors in my marina, in that it's all about just actually sailing. No sleeping, lounging, cooking, tinkering, anchoring,...just burying the rail in the water and heading 10-20 miles offshore. I sometimes can't wrap my head around those who'd rather sit on their boats tied up in the marina from sun up to sun down when the wind and weather are perfectly magical.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

One cruiser I met in my travels, I'm thinking Fort Dollardale, said that it takes 4 days of prep to go cruising after each month tied to a dock when cruising. It's true. I am currently looking at moving to the city Marina wherein I can only live aboard 3 nights in a row and spend the rest of my time on land. The reason? I can move all the moveable land based ballast that has to be stowed before departure to land and have a boat that is ready to go 24/7 and is at a deep water marina. I keep trying to resist swallowing the hook. But after six years, I'm starting to look at other options. Especially because I lost my first mate and long distance soloing is very difficult. I love my yacht, but even though she tugs at her lines, I have too many hours of work each side, to get her to move... Just an honest reflection.

Sten

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 10:30:51

Shouldn't the question really be: Why do I live in Ohio?

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shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 11:00:34

I really love where I live... I don't like that I cannot access water (real water) for sailing much, but it's a side effect of where I live/work. I debated putting my boat on the Chesapeake, and getting something larger to sail... Spending weekends at the boat, and sailing more open water. It wasn't an unreasonable amount of money. It was ONE WAY to sail for me. Make no mistake, I too, long for a limitless horizon. I want to be on the permanent tack.

I settled for putting my boat on small water (lake). Because of this, I can go 2-3 times a week. When I get a break. Or when the mood hits me. it was a choice, a compromise.
Winter rolls around all to early around here. When our lake turns to ice. I can't sail.

I've found that I can stem the tide (pardon the pun) of the "want to sail" with projects on the boat. Now, granted, I had LOTS of projects that were overdue on the boat (in my pea brain anyway). So we all take from sailing what we like, and leave nothing else. The name of my boat, reflects this cyclical argument... of a draw of bigger water, of a want to go, and go now. The knowledge that it's coming, and the almost uncontrollable urge to see it happen.

I won't lie... Sailing is a ton of work. Sailing in bad weather, can be a chore. For me it truly is a labor of love.

Today... it's going to hit 92 today. I live in PA... 92 is unheard of, especially in late May. I'm going sailing. I would not want to be OUTSIDE if I were home. But sailing.. it's special, and different, and for whatever reason, I deal with the heat.

I don't begrudge any person who chooses not to sail on super-windy days, or rainy ones, or won't sail during hot ones, or no wind days. They'll sail the way they want, and as they should. For this reason, I don't ever want to subject someone to my crazy idea of fun. They likely won't get it. I do have this need to go, that I cannot explain rationally, because, well, its not real rational. This is sailing to me.

The Anticipation is part of the dance. It's as important as the desire to go faster with less (even so much as a breath of wind). It's the driver, that makes me strive for better, and takes my mind off the daily drudgery of the workaday world, knowing that in mere hours, I could be sailing.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 11:22:03

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by redviking
 One cruiser I met in my travels, I'm thinking Fort Dollardale, said that it takes 4 days of prep to go cruising after each month tied to a dock when cruising. It's true...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">My observation is as you approach 30', you start moving away from the pastime of sailing and toward a movable home. Past 30', people generally need capable crew to get under way, and the effort pretty much discourages day-sailing. (Then it's time to get a Laser!) And to get to where they're going, they end up under power 80% of the time. (No wind, wind on the nose, foul current,.....

)

The 25' Catalinas make a nice sweet-spot between manageable, seaworthy day-sailers and "almost" commodious cruisers.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 05/30/2013 11:26:52

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 05/30/2013 : 19:17:19

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Champipple
 Shouldn't the question really be: Why do I live in Ohio?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Duane, I usually only ask myself that in January and February.

Edited by - on

redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3478 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2013 : 04:21:49

My brother joined me on one day, he works from home now, and we set the a small spinnaker going back from the mast to a whisker pole across the back of the boom. The mail halyard pulls the top of the spinnaker up and the shackle is also clipped over the jib halyard so it slides up and stays near the mast. The end effect is blocking the sun and directing wind down on us as well as holding the boat in place relative to the wind. Works well on a calm day.

We relaxed and swam.... thinking about how the season is just about over. About to be hot and windless days.. or the swimming weather.

I can't tell you how much he enjoyed just laying on the boat...

Edited by - redeye on 05/31/2013 04:24:59

TakeFive
Master Marine Consultant

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2272 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2013 : 10:36:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stinkpotter
 My observation is as you approach 30', you start moving away from the pastime of sailing and toward a movable home. Past 30', people generally need capable crew to get under way, and the effort pretty much discourages day-sailing. (Then it's time to get a Laser!) And to get to where they're going, they end up under power 80% of the time. (No wind, wind on the nose, foul current,.....

)

The 25' Catalinas make a nice sweet-spot between manageable, seaworthy day-sailers and "almost" commodious cruisers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
SO TRUE!!!! I am so glad that I picked the boat that I did instead of the 30-36 footers that I was looking at while shopping around. Even now that I'm doing a few 2-4 day cruises every season, the vast majority of our sailing is daysailing, and the ease of maneuvering in the marina, low maintenance, and general ease of sailing with crew of 1 or 2 is a huge benefit. The C250's cabin is just big enough to retreat down below comfortably, whether to sleep for the night or just to get out of the sun/wind for a few hours.

For us, it is the perfect balance of compromises. When we want to do a full week with 3-4 people, we just charter. Our savings from the C250 vs. a larger boat more than covers the cost of an annual charter.

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