What is the worst Sailing State?

[Rick Webb]

My worst place is Delaware. Never lived there but was required to go there periodically and nothing good there at all. I'll accept I have a distorted impression and having no sales tax is a bonus but it is just a swamp between Maryland and New Jersey which is number two on my worst list.

I LOVED sailing in Hawaii. In fact a lot of folks had boats 25' or so with no motor and did not need one at all.

We would sail to Lahaina from Honolulu on a three day weekend routinely. Leave late Friday swim up to the beach in time for happy hour on Saturday. Leave at dawn Sunday and back in time for class on Tuesday. All with no motor.

 

[AlastairLC]

I was going to put my vote in for Arizona. I have never tried to sail there, but have toured the state several times and I can't think of any large body of water that wasn't dried up due to drought.

Lake Pleasant, AZ, has great sailing. When I moved to Scottsdale I gave up sailing and focused on golf. Once I finally realized just how frustrating that game is, I bought a boat there and now I’m a happy sailor again. No passages, but year round sailing with no humidity, bugs or lobster pots.

 

[TomY]

Having sailed through most of the East coast, here's a few characteristics, that I think, make for less than great, sailing:

#1 Long distance from mooring/dock to the 'sailing'. I've sailed out of places where powering for at least an hour - to sailing and return from sailing - had to be taken into account.

#2 Prevailing winds and geography that limit most sailing to upwind, and downwind, sailing. I sailed on a long slender lake for years with that characteristic. Not bad if you want to go downwind. But the nagging thought that the return is likely to be all upwind in narrow sailing grounds, affects your planning.

#3 Too much power boat traffic. This is more of an annoyance for smaller boats trying to sail in the light air, such as the prevailing conditions in small lakes. If you enjoy sailing in very light conditions, too many large boat wakes, are annoying.

#4 Bold coastlines with few inlets or options for protection for long distances. These may be close to open water sailing close by, but weather is a huge factor as you're fully exposed and limited on directions you can sail, comfortably. Geography is a huge factor in the quality of sailing grounds.

#5 Places that are not naturally beautiful. This doesn't mean I don't like cities (I do!) But some waterfronts sold their souls to industry and development. Many developed waterfronts have evolved well (public access, walkways, bike paths, anchorages), for all to use. Sailing is beautiful to me, and should be enjoyed in beautiful places.

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

The worst -anyplace other than Newport, RI

 

[jssailem]

Will
Like many landlocked states you would think AZ is a desert... But like @AlastairLC has shared there are lakes and reservoirs to tempt the sailor who wants to try. To include Lake Havasu Lake Theodore Roosevelt and there is always the Baja’s Gulf of California only a few hours south of the border. I understand there is a rather large fleet of sailboats in Marina’s there.

@smokey73 I feel your pain. Our first ocean buoy is a 2-3 day cruise. But I remind myself it is the journey not the destination.

I would think the worst place to sail is to a port that is dry. No place to celebrate the experience.

 

[Davidasailor26]

New Jersey which is number two on my worst list.

Have to disagree with you there. Barnegat Bay is protected, adequately sized for day sailing, and has a steady prevailing sea breeze that you could set your watch by.

 

[LeslieTroyer]

I sailed for several years in the desert of Washington - Rivers and lakes from dam’d rivers were nice
Les

 

[jssailem]

Also girls are more likely to wear bikinis in the sun warmed rivers and lakes than the chilled waters of the Juan D’Fuca Strait.

 

[RussC]

During 2011-2015 or so it was certainly Oregon, due to our drought.

but things have improved a great deal since then. Almost back to normal even.

 

[jssailem]

But still no fishing in the boat basin... That’s where all the trout are hiding.

 

[RussC]

But still no fishing in the boat basin... That’s where all the trout are hiding.

The sign was the main reason for the photo back in 2015. made us chuckle on an otherwise discouraging day. The photo is at Howard Prairie lake, which has been a premier local sailing lake for many many years. hopefully it is back now for many more years. filled to 100% last year and looking pretty good again this year so far. it made us appreciate the snow and rain in the winter months around here for sure .

 

[Jackdaw]

I LOVED sailing in Hawaii. In fact a lot of folks had boats 25' or so with no motor and did not need one at all.

We would sail to Lahaina from Honolulu on a three day weekend routinely. Leave late Friday swim up to the beach in time for happy hour on Saturday. Leave at dawn Sunday and back in time for class on Tuesday. All with no motor.

I only wanted to comment on places that I’ve actually sailed, but from what my sailing Hawaiian friends say this is true. I’d agree it would be a dicey place to set up a charter base, and that’s what most visitors notice.

 

[smokey73]

@smokey73 I feel your pain. Our first ocean buoy is a 2-3 day cruise. But I remind myself it is the journey not the destination.
.

There is no pain here - its just 2 HRS to the Ocean Bouys, not 2 DAYS. Sometimes I do have to motor for up to an hour if the tides and winds are against me heading to Port Royal Sound, but once there you can sail in any direction and the sailing is good. The real problem is in the heat of the summer the winds can be pretty light.

+1 that a dry port would be the pits. Not a problem here in Beaufort though plus I make sure I have a healthy supply of adult beverges on board, including Single Malt Scotch - for medicinal purposes only of course.

 

[Charlie Jones s/v Tehani]

Nope- never want to be in Beaufort. Except when anchored there during a long cruise from Texas

 

[Daveinet]

To suggest the state as a whole is a bad state to try to sail is not really a fair question. While IL has some great places to sail in the southern part of the state, the northeastern part of the state has Chicago. The problem with Chicago is the yearly boat slip fee will cost you more than your boat is worth. Gaining access to the lake is difficult just navigating traffic. I don't mind driving in traffic, I just the hate the waste of time that it is.

BTY: Indiana may have Lake Monroe, but Lake Monroe is loaded with dead fish and stinks like it. Its kind of hard to call it pleasant.

 

[Terry Cox]

When I moved to Scottsdale I gave up sailing and focused on golf

Yup, did that, too. Even hired pro lessons, but in the end I decided that why go onto the course feeling great, but by the end totally frustrated, angry, angst and demented.

 

[dlochner]

As some of the thoughts expressed about sailing in Hawaii imply, it is not the ability to sail in a state that is at issue, it is whether the kind of sailing that you would like to do is available.

If you like mid-oceans sailing and long distances between ports, then Hawaii may be just the place for you. If you like casual dingy sailing most any decent sized lake or reservoir may well meet your needs. If racing is your passion there are many places you don't want to sail because the racing is non existent or not particularly competitive.

In a past life I had a decent sized lake literally in my back yard. But I don't want to be landlocked so I kept my boat 45 miles away on the big lake. Each to his own, or her own as the case was.

 

[Tom J]

What's the worst sailing state? Hawai'i.

Yeah, it just sounds wrong, that's the reason why it is the worst. Hawai'i is blessed with warm weather, trade winds, and lots of water. What it doesn't have are good cruising grounds, protected bays, and easy sailing between islands.

Most harbors are roadsteads or commercial harbors. There are reefs blocking many of the "bays" which are really just broad indentations in the shore line. Wind and current rip between islands with big waves and high winds. Imagine a 20 knot trade wind being funneled between 2 13,000ft mountains and a 10,000 ft mountain, that's the channel between Maui and the Big Island. Even the short hop between Lahina and Lanai gets nasty every afternoon.

So, Hawai'i is the worst state, not because you can't sail there, it's the difference between the myths and reality that makes it the worst. No one seriously expects great sailing in Arkansas or Indiana, or Iowa, but people believe there is great sailing in Hawaii, and it just ain't so.

Very true, Dave, especially in Maui County, as you described. Honolulu has a number of marinas, though, with lots of sailboats, and even a West Marine. I was there a few days ago, and noticed that sailing at sunset was a favorite activity.
Here on Maui, there are no marinas, and no retail marine store. We have two small boat harbors, man made, with perhaps a dozen recreational slips in each. Most recreational boating is done by trailering, and fortunately, there are good ramps. Even a lot of the 30'+ dive boats are trailered.
Hawaii is a sailing destination, and I believe a lot of the sailboats here were sailed downhill from the Mainland, and stayed here because very few owners want to make the long slog back.
I have sailed here a couple of times, once on a 50' Santa Cruz for an awesome whale watch, and once on a 24' Corsair trimaran, which was a fast and spectacular ride. The Corsair was on a trailer, and the owner sold it because he had to keep it in a storage yard (expensive), and the setup and takedown was time consuming.
Personally, I would miss sailing if it weren't for the fact that I live aboard my Catalina 310, out of Boston Harbor, during the summer. Cruising Cape Cod and the Islands is very enjoyable and satisfying. So, there you have it, from the "worst" state for sailing to the "best" state for sailing.

 

[25yearslater]

+1 for Lake Ontario for all the reasons dlochner cited with the addition of international sailing less than a day away. Easy access and plentiful harbors with low cost services. Worst place is northern Ohio/Lake Erie. Sorry guys and gals the thing is a shazitting mess of toxic algae in the summer with fast moving storms, too many shallows and harbors are less than plentiful. Lake Michigan may be the nicest place to sail since I have never made it to Superior.

 

[dlochner]

Very true, Dave, especially in Maui County, as you described. Honolulu has a number of marinas, though, with lots of sailboats, and even a West Marine. I was there a few days ago, and noticed that sailing at sunset was a favorite activity.
Here on Maui, there are no marinas, and no retail marine store. We have two small boat harbors, man made, with perhaps a dozen recreational slips in each. Most recreational boating is done by trailering, and fortunately, there are good ramps. Even a lot of the 30'+ dive boats are trailered.
Hawaii is a sailing destination, and I believe a lot of the sailboats here were sailed downhill from the Mainland, and stayed here because very few owners want to make the long slog back.
I have sailed here a couple of times, once on a 50' Santa Cruz for an awesome whale watch, and once on a 24' Corsair trimaran, which was a fast and spectacular ride. The Corsair was on a trailer, and the owner sold it because he had to keep it in a storage yard (expensive), and the setup and takedown was time consuming.
Personally, I would miss sailing if it weren't for the fact that I live aboard my Catalina 310, out of Boston Harbor, during the summer. Cruising Cape Cod and the Islands is very enjoyable and satisfying. So, there you have it, from the "worst" state for sailing to the "best" state for sailing.

A lot of sailboats are in Hawaii as well as active youth sailing in Waikiki and Kaneohe, but the choices for sailing are limited, go day sailing or leave Honolulu and sail 24 hours to get to Lahina for happy hour on Saturday and then sail back on Sunday, hoping to back in time to get to work on Tuesday. And that's the nearest destination from Honolulu. A sailor's options are limited, a day sail in what can be boisterous conditions or a long sail to another island. No sailing somewhere for lunch or a quick overnight or a series of short (less than a day) hops to a nice cruising ground.

Hawaii does have a strong maritime industry. There is a commercial fishing fleet, tourist sailboat rides, deep sea fishing, and transients. In addition to West there is a local company, POP Marine located at Pier 38. (Right next to the Fish Market and 2 great restaurants Nico's and Uncles.)

I would be remiss in not noting that my passion for sailing was ignited in Hawaii as a child. I learned to sail in Kailua and Kaneohe Bays in an El Toro. (EL Toro States 16 Sept 2017 - Google Photos), but alas we were not sufficiently affluent to join Kaneohe Yacht Club or join in the sailing there.

Here's another look at youth sailing in Hawaii, this from Waikiki YC.