How often do you get to your boat?

[Richard Skipworth]

50 +

We are about 50 miles from our boat on the Clinton River. We are there every weekend from late April to mid-October. We day sail but two or three times a year we go for a weekend "on the hook" and once a year we go 15 - 20 days up into Lake Huron for vacation. Thats the two of us. As for me, I race on Thursdays, so I get out at least once during the week to open her up and air her out. My Business Customer is only about 20 miles from the boat, so if the situtation permits, I may head out after work for a evening single-hand or a "guys night"!Fair winds!R. Skipworth"Enchantress"

 

[Greg Downs]

Half hour

About a half hour drive from either home or work. I sail at least one day on the weekend and once during the week.

 

[John]

Post partum depression

Oh no...you had to bring this up. My boat is only 4 miles away. But....during the winter months, I wander around the marina, trashing through the snow, small tears freeze to my cheek. Anybody have a small chip of bottom paint I can nibble on?

 

[Alex]

..or how often one go sailing?..

I live 15 miles from Asdod marina , where I keep now "Mica" , my 29.5.It's the newest ( and as such 80% still empty..) marina on Israel East Meditreranean coast, open for one year only.Before that , I kept her-and others before- Jaffa Port , a picturesque and old fishing port plus marina . I get to the marina on everage 2-3 times a week ( unless rainy conditions in winter Nov-Feb , when I get there once a week). I get to sail twice a week on average ; once-twice a year we sail abroad , a basicly 400 nm open sea round trip to Cyprus , and sometimes if vacation lenght permit we sail on to Turkey , another 200-300 nm to above mentione trip.Otherwise , we just sail around,sometimes local regattas , or to neighbur marinas : Askelon south 8 nm ,Jaffa port 18 nm north ,Herzelia 24 nm, Haifa 60 nm north , this list being 80% of all marinas on Israel coast..For general information , we are about 15 Hunter( mostly bought anew in last 5 years) owners in this country , about 1-2 of each model from 460 and down, out of about 2000 boats (all kind and lenght...)moored on Israeli shore marinas.( There is no significant inner water sailing activity, since the one lake-Kineret- is quite small , and is popular mostly to fisharmen small open boats , or windsurfing , a popular sport in Israel.) Sailing season is all year around ,as we don't have snow or freazing on coast area ,(and seldom anywhere else..on this desert rim country , whose weather is much the same as San-Diego, year around..) but in winter we don't venture far , as the Mediteranean Sea can get quickly nasty.Well , I hope this add to general picture of 'Hunter owners around the world' to mostly US owners on HOW..

 

[Rick D]

More Non-North Americas Responses?

Alex and others who have replied with descriptions of their experiences have added a lot to the discussion. Anyone else from other parts of the world community care to weigh in? RD

 

[Bryan]

Too FAR

6 hour drive!!!

 

[Scott]

16,000+ miles, 2 flat tires & 1 ticket - A Year!

From Atlanta to St. Simons Island (GA coast), approx 650 miles round trip. We run down every two weeks or so, and sometimes every weekend. Leave Friday late afternoon, returning Sunday evening. Daylight savings time makes it very hard to leave and sometimes results in very weary Mondays. Despite the distance we can usually get down in about 4.5-5 hrs including a snack stop. Wife did get one speeding ticket last year, and we had 2 flat tires (one each way on the same trip!). Always try to complete at least one maintenance item from the list and spend most of our time away from the dock.Scott83-H34 Island Hops

 

[Maria McAuliffe]

To Far

Its a 20 minute drive from home. The boat is used on weekends only. For sailing and socializing.

 

[Ghery Pettit]

5 Minutes

The marina is 5 minutes from the house. Fly to the boat? Heck, I drive by the marina to get to the airport. If I really want the boat close, I can leave it on my mooring below the house. Of course, I can drive to the marina faster than I can haul the kayak down the hill and paddle out to the mooring. Plus, I don't have to drag the kayak back up the hill when I'm done.

 

[Thom Hoffman]

Weekend Visitation

On average, it's about a 45 minute drive. During the winter lay up, I go to visit once or twice. How often depends on how visious the elements have been (shake off the snow, tighten up on the tarps) &/or how badly I need to get a rush of salt air back into my lungs. The Maine coast really is a sight to behold in winter. During sailing season, it's pretty much a regular weekend thing of get out of town. Either day trips or weekend cruises are the usual fare except when it's time for my real vacation. Then it's a matter of moving aboard for a matter of weeks and setting sail downeast. The season cometh!

 

[HOW Editorial]

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 4/17/2000: How far from home is your boat?  35% Over 50 miles (180) 25% 10-50 miles (133) 23% Under 10 miles (122)09% Under 100' (49)

 

[John Allison]

Almost Daily

I live within two blocks of beautiful Lake St Clair and within 3/4 of a mile of "Whisper", my 25' Cherubini designed Hunter. I sail at least once a week during the week (Wednesday evening) where we have a quasi race get together (ie, if you get in first it was a race ..... last, it was just a pleasant evening cruise) and throughout the weekend. Last year totaled over 350 hrs of actual sail time.Actually, I see the boat almost daily and will spend time (if not out on the water) just hanging out (personal quiet time) or doing those odds and ends that keep popping up. Sailing is sailing to me ..... whether or not it is cruising, racing or just being out on the water ..... it makes little difference. The important thing is that I am sailing. Love to cruise for a week or more with one or two other boats but last summer that did not materialize. This summer we will make it happen.

 

[Michael Moore]

Seasonal Changes

As often as I can create a reasonable excuse to drive app. 50 miles through never ending road construction. In the dead of the Michigan winter this is often only once weekly. On these visits one has to clamber up an icy ladder, creep beneath a windblown tarp, fumble with a frozen lock and fire up an electric space heater for several minutes before removing your Parka and Mittens. Then I make myself at home. puttering with any number of simple projects while dreaming fervently of warm and breezy summer conditions (the kind that may occur perhaps three or less times in any given sailing season). Once the ice melts and the mean temperature soars above the freezing mark, most of us sailors on the third coast begin the springtime ritual of spring commisionning. Traditionally, this involves long hours holding an electric palm sander up against what certainly seems to be the largest expanse of submerged hull I have ever seen while turning our faces and bodies a deep hue of blue, green or red (depending upon your taste in bottom paints last year). At this season, the weekly pilgrimage may soar to two to three trips per week. If we were smart enough to haul her before Halloween, we may get her launched by early May, but if, as usual, we forestalled the inevitable until Thanksgiving (always in the hope of that one perfect Indian Summer Sail) we probably aren't ready to launch until about the 15th of May. After that, if I don't make the trip a minimum of three times weekly, with sail time, my therapist bills rival my marina dues. The older I get, the more I want, the more I want, the longer I have to work to afford it all, the longer I work, the more I need the things I want that I can't have because I'm working to damn much. And on top of it all, somebody misplaced three foot of water from the top of Lake Michigan last year and they haven't returned it yet!!!!