Just some chit chat about some peoples loss of interest in sailing.

[lance on cloud nine]

Hi all. I am 56 and even though I work full time and only get to spend a few days here and there messing about my boat, I do spend tons of energy thinking about all aspects of sailing. I see beauty in all sizes and kinds of sailboats, but like many of you I have a special place in my heart for those that are smaller and more simple.
I got to spend this last week sailing my O'Day 23. It was the first time in ages that I have had the pleasure to sail her with a perfectly clean bottom and fresh sails simultaneously. It was of course a blast, and this got me to thinking about the fact that some never experience the sensation of using their small cruising boat while it is well sorted out and optimized for their particular style of cruising.
Very often you see a new sailor buy an older trailer sailboat and because he really hasn't the experience to see that it may need new sails, or does not know how to rig and/or trim it to get the most out of it - he may be operating at a subpar level and think that this is all there is... He may think that to "move up" from here must require a bigger and more complex machine. At least this is exactly what I thought when I first started. Had I bought a bigger boat then, it would have been on a really tight budget. What would have happened to me would be I would have had a bigger and more complex boat needing much more expensive parts, but it would have still been subpar performer because I didn't really have much experience and it would have been basically as tired and worn out as the smaller boat it replaced. Had I gone this route, I probably would have quit by now.
Thankfully after reading much on this and other sites, I decided to stick with my smaller boat and learn to really wring her out. I sought to get to know her personally and I am really glad I did.
In short, going forward, whenever a new sailor asks me for advice about a new to them boat, my first response will be to ask if they ever really got to know their present boat?

ps - I meant to post in the general discussion topic, but don't know how to move this there?

[CharlieJ]

 ;)

This is a destination of sorts- a mental one anyway.

[Frank]

I really like your thoughts on "getting to know your boat"

If you've worked on it's simple systems,
have done your own upgrades and repairs,
and have spent time atually getting to know it's capabilities on the water

there is a HUGE comfort zone....

as you say....you've come to truly "know your boat"

exellent point!!

[Jmandre]

I agree, great point. Although it's not sailing-related, I frequently have this discussion with friends that I go off-roading with. They all have spent big bucks on brand new dirt bikes, while I ride a lovingly restored and upgraded 30-year-old machine. They all don't understand why anyone would do such a thing, until we go ride and they figure out that they're no faster or more capable than me and my old bike. Same thing applies to our vessels. Sure there are better and worse designs, but far more important (in my humble opinion) is being intimately familiar with what you sail. The rewards are so much bigger...