so how many iboaters sail?

MolsonCanadian

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 9, 2010
Messages
199
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I crew on an Express 30 for Wednesday club races. Not really interested in cruising on a sailboat though. I do want to grab an Albacore or similar to teach my son. I love dinghy sailing.
 

magster65

Commander
Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
2,573
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I don't know how to sail and I've only sailed one time... it was fabulous. The boat was a 42' Beneteau... a truly awesome boat. I was surprised how quiet and fast the thing went! I was impressed that way but I'm from a family of power-boaters so I'm of biased opinion.
To me it was too much work and paying attention to too many things unless you were under power. Also the draft / height thing isn't great around here with the shallow inlets and bays... and the odd bridge to go under. In another environment I would learn to sail myself but for me, here and now... power-boating is 'it'!
It seems to be that eventually fuel will be so expensive we all sail though... or be landlubbers!!
 

MarcPierre

Recruit
Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
3
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I considered about that person who sail boat in the ocean. I also remember today once time i went to sail boat with my parent and i was quietly fear because i never went on sail boat before it.
 

SolingSailor

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 24, 2009
Messages
197
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I do too.
Thank you Steve, and Paul, and Bobby, and Rich and Sherri. My Teachers.
That's Button, Miller, Doyle, and Crowe.
 
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rolmops

Vice Admiral
Joined
Feb 24, 2002
Messages
5,299
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

In high school we had a sailing club and it was there that we raced in "The Flying Dutchman "class
 

phillyg

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
209
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I sailed for years until the last time out with my wife. She told me she'd never sail with me again because she was scared when the boat heeled. She mumbled something about me burying the gunnels and I was dangerous or careless (in her humble opinion). However, since she's a great wife she said we had to get a powerboat. Sold the sailboat the next week; bought an express cruiser and thousands of dollars of gasoline and never looked back.
 

chris.olson

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
173
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

just wonder because i see some iboaters sail and have sailboats how many of you do? Also iboaters that hate sailboat why do you hate them? Also motor boaters why don't you sail?

My wife and I have sailed for 33 years and currently own two sailboats - a Hallberg-Rassy 54 slipped in the Caribbean and a Hunter H22 based on Lake Superior (but is currently in my shop undergoing refits and new paint). We'll be leaving after Jan 1 to sail the Caribbean for three months.

I've never really met anybody that "hates" sailboats. But sailing does take a bit more technical knowledge. And if you're going to do any serious ocean passages you'll more than likely be looking at a sailboat instead of a powerboat. Many people don't realize that the record for circumnavigation is held by a sailboat and I believe, without looking it up, that it's 15 days faster than the record held by a powerboat.
 

Lt. Dan

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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May 31, 2013
Messages
93
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

Grew up sailing, Pop said it took as much skill to sail properly & fast as it does to fly straight & smooth. We have in the family, a laser, a Victoria 18, S2 8 meter and a planning hull something or another that is fast as all hell. We have power boats as well albeit after we were on our own, Pop would not have a stinkpot in the slip or on a trailer.

I nearly purchased a Hans 41T a few years ago from the original owner. He and his wife circumnavigated 4 times. The starboard crew quarters had been converted into a dive station for refilling their tanks. It was a beautiful boat, I planned to live aboard but life happens at times.

At any rate a bad day on the water beats a great day on terra firma any ole time.
 

Sashav

Cadet
Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
8
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I used to sail more when I had not so demanding job, now I just use my motor boat two-three times a month.
 

OllieC

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
533
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

My father-in-law has a sailboat on Superior. I bring my Sea Ray up and we use both. I love the quiet on a sailboat. (plus the fuel economy LOL!)

I meet a buddy in our bay every year. He has a Sea Ray 280DA. Beautiful boat. He asked me once; "Theres a sailboat under power and you are approaching head-on, who has the right of way?" I said; "The stand-on boat of course!"
He said; "Your power boat...always! LOL!!".....he was joking of course.....but him and I would help any fellow boater in distress and would never intentionally do anything malicious. We're always talking Nautical!

I subscribe to Cruising World along with 3 other boating mags for which the showcase some beautiful sailboats. If I lived on the coast, I would seriously consider purchasing a large Cat vs. a Powered cruiser.
 

MickLovin

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
822
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I haven't sailed in years say around 20, I am from Australia and my uncle and cousin were #1 in Australian for 14ft Murrycat/Hobicats, they used to take me surfing in them only so they could catch the back of a wave and throw me out :faint2: But it was a lot of fun using them to surf with and especially considering how good my uncle and cousins were with them.
 

ceasarea

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
Messages
126
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

I bought my teenage kids a cl14 2 years a go....They love it . I wished I'd bought a slightly bigger one but its perfect to sail by yourself and the kids love it....and that's good enough for me. We sail on Lake Scugog in Ontario.
 

sailor55330

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 16, 2013
Messages
38
Re: so how many iboaters sail?

Some will appreciate my post, others will call me a fool. I have been on sail boats since I was 9 months old on various monohulls, cats and cruising sailboats. Last significant sailing was on my Catalina 30 on Galveston bay. I got my first powerboat about 2 years ago after relocating to MN. I can honestly say that I have spent more in maintenance and repairs in 2 years than I did in almost 10 years of sailboat ownership. For me, sailing all the way. No disrespect, but going in circles around a lake regardless of speed just doesn't do it for me. I miss being able to leave the marina, set a course, turn on the autopilot, and dock for lunch in a neighboring town 3 hours later without the drone of an engine. I'd much rather spend my travel time on the water, not in the car pulling a trailer. Not to mention the 21hp universal diesel used about $9 of fuel annually. Additionally, I miss the skill involved in sailing. No disrespect, but it doesn't take a lot of know how to push a throttle. Of course, good boat handling requires skill regardless of the boat. Additionally, trailering is a total pain compared to keeping a boat in a slip on the water.

Everyone has their own opinion about the best style of boat. For me, it's sail all the way.
 

mooseye

Recruit
Joined
May 21, 2008
Messages
5
I got so mad when I got my first sale boat, a Minifish of all things. I was mad cause no one had told me how much fun it was. I like to take the mini out when the wind is near 18 knots. There is nothing like the feeling when the mast is a few inches above the water and I am the same on the other side.
I like power boating too, but just riding in a motor boat gets old pretty quick.
As for water manners, don't get in the path of 40+ bass boats at the opening of a tournament. Ask me how I know that?
 

SolingSailor

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Dec 24, 2009
Messages
197
Hi Mooseye,

Isn't that funny? I took up sailing at the age of 32, and I remember being mad at the world for not telling me about sailing until then. Since then, I have been a sailing fool. Eat, work, sail, repeat. I tell my friends that it's a good thing that I was out of school by then, because I surely would have dropped out and maybe ruined my life. Nice to meet a fellow traveler.

See you out there!

--m
 

AndyHUK

Cadet
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
12
~~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 70™s 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. That™s 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 F3™s 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. That™s 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 don™t 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, couldn™t navigate his way out of the bay, his nose stuck firmly on his Garmin sat nav to get from A to B and yet tha™s 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 didn™t 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.
 
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atucker1

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
40
I'm 15, have been sailing for 4 years, and bought my own sailboat this summer (C-Lark 14) with my own money. Nonetheless, I enjoy going tubing or water skiing on a fiends boat. It's just a different type of fun. Frankly, I love anything on the water--kayaking, rowing, canoeing, jetskiing, whatever. I mainly decided to go with a sailboat because I have friends who enjoy sailing and it is very cheap.
 
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atucker1

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
40
I think one reason people don't like sailing is that if there is no wind it can be quite boring. On a motor boat, you can go out on the hot sunny days when there is little wind and have an exciting time.
 
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southkogs

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Staff member
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Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,785
I think one reason people don't like sailing is that if there is no wind it can be quite boring. On a motor boat, you can go out on the hot sunny days when there is little wind and have an exciting time.
4 knots in a rolling surf is more exciting than 70 knots on flat water any time ... though I don't always want THAT kind of excitement.

Good for you learning to sail. I hope you enjoy it and keep it up. It provides you with many different things (situations, needs, equipment, plans, etc.) that you have to work out and that's a good thing to help a young guy mature. Welcome aboard!
 

amylem

Recruit
Joined
Sep 11, 2015
Messages
5
There's definitely a special feeling you get when you're gliding across the water being pushed only by the wind and currents, and all you hear is the water splashing over the hull.
 
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