~~A very interesting post and with some very interesting replies.
I started my love with the open water at the age of 8 (im now 51) when my dad bought our first sail boat which was a Mirror Dingy. It's a self assembly kit boat designed and made by a news paper company here in the UK in the early 70s and survives to this day in my collection. I learned to sail and never looked back, the peace and quiet of sailing is hard to beat. My friends family bought a small sports boat when I was about 10 (a Simms SuperV) and invited me along for a weekend on Lake Windermere. ThatÃÂs when I also fell in love with the sport of waterskiing. Both my hobbies developed through the years, I eventually sailed in the Laser race series here in the UK on lakes and the seas, I also developed my waterskiing to advanced instructor for the BWSF for Jump, Slalom and Trick. I have owned Ski Nautiques (2001 and Barefoot) a Mastercraft 190, and a few OB powered F3s for off shore ski racing (A Ring 21 with 2x150 Black Max and a 19 Fletcher) but my passion still remains with the big V8 towing power of the IB dedicated tow boats. In parallel to the waterskiing I continued to sail when I had the time, that has developed into the ownership of a 41 Beneteau Oceanis 411 Clipper Tall Mast yacht. Now my only boats are a Glastron 1700 I/O Mercruiser powered toy for my waterskiing vice and the Beneteau for sailing (oh and my little RiB for the tender).
I have found several things in all of this,
Sailing requires skill and knowledge far in excess of anything needed to operate power boats (unless they are 60 foot-70 foot and above), I find the knowledge I have learned sailing invaluable when in a power boat, I never leave port without back up plans, local information, radios, navigation aids, flares, epirb etc but the amount of recreational boaters (both power and sail) that have no idea about the seas is astonishing beyond belief.
I never preach to people but I try to advise, I feel it is our duty to protect our sports and people who choose to enjoy the waters of the world.
The 2 sides of boating are very different and yet very similar, both highly enjoyable but divided mostly by age, the young and youthful tend to be power and dare I say it, less responsible and naive. I dont mean that with disrespect but its just a matter of life experience coupled with a lack of understanding of danger (hell in fact I was one of the worst ) but I survived by luck more than skill or judgement but that then develops into experience and knowledge. ThatÂs why I went to teaching my chosen sport to the younger generations.
Fear is healthy, I remember getting caught out in an F8 blowing to F9 off the coast of Northumberland (the Farne Islands) in a 40 foot Moody, I was the skipper and should have known better, it scared the living crap out of me and taught me a few lessons and a lot of respect, but as my friends told me, you got back safe, so you did something right.
My mistake was not reading the skies well enough, not paying attention to sea state, not reading the long term marine forecast and most importantly ignoring the golden rule of sailing, if your thinking about reefing, you should already be reefing the sails.
I take great enjoyment in all forms of boating and I donÂt think one is better than the other but I do find knowledge in sailing is far more in depth than the motor boaters because it has to be or you get injured or worst of all you die.
I am currently berthed next to a spankey new 60 foot Princess who's skipper went to sea with absolutely no experience what so ever, no knowledge of tides, current, seas state, wind, couldnÂt navigate his way out of the bay, his nose stuck firmly on his Garmin sat nav to get from A to B and yet thaÂs perfectly legal which I find amazing .all the gear and no idea springs to mind, oh well its his money, as long as he don't run into me trying to berth his boat (he didnÂt even know what his bow thruster was for or where the control was)
Anyway, just stay safe, use your head and enjoy the sport. I for one intend to continue in my love of the oceans and lakes of our planet, above the waves and below.
