Most of us don't sail as often as we'd like. What keeps you off the water? Is it a high-pressure, weekend-working job, the demands of a growing family, keeping up your house, or other chores and social commitments? Are you in a position where nothing keeps you away from your boat? How do you balance your love of sailing with the other important parts of your life? Share you thoughts here, then vote in the Quick Quiz at the bottom of the home page.
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My son's soccer
- - every Sunday - - in spring and fall. But I only have one son, and he only has one childhood.
- - every Sunday - - in spring and fall. But I only have one son, and he only has one childhood.
Balance is the goal
I love to sail. However I also love my family, my work, my friends, my church and God. They goal and challenge is to find a way to balance everything. Sometimes this is not always easy due to outside influences... The weather. I might plan and balance perfectly them it rains for two days straight. My boat is about 12 minutes from my home on lake Erie. This is a great help. We should all do what we like but lets keep perspective. After sailing all of that I am disapointed if I don't get out 3 - 4 times per week. Skip
I love to sail. However I also love my family, my work, my friends, my church and God. They goal and challenge is to find a way to balance everything. Sometimes this is not always easy due to outside influences... The weather. I might plan and balance perfectly them it rains for two days straight. My boat is about 12 minutes from my home on lake Erie. This is a great help. We should all do what we like but lets keep perspective. After sailing all of that I am disapointed if I don't get out 3 - 4 times per week. Skip
Singlehanding difficulties....
If I could sail better by myself, I would have a lot more days on the water. (I can work on this.....) Other people's schedules just don't match up with mine. ONce we do get a day out, all the great times sailing really make us have a desire to get those scheduling problems worked out.
If I could sail better by myself, I would have a lot more days on the water. (I can work on this.....) Other people's schedules just don't match up with mine. ONce we do get a day out, all the great times sailing really make us have a desire to get those scheduling problems worked out.
Skip..you are right.
"Remember the "sabbath" and don't follow after one's own pleasures..." A few weeks ago, it seemed the only time we had to go sailing was during the time we worship. I decided against sailing, but then another time opened up for us and we had a great time. Skip's decision to give God His time, has probably opened up 3 or 4 times each week for Skip to enjoy sailing. How many people are doing that good at finding time to sail?
"Remember the "sabbath" and don't follow after one's own pleasures..." A few weeks ago, it seemed the only time we had to go sailing was during the time we worship. I decided against sailing, but then another time opened up for us and we had a great time. Skip's decision to give God His time, has probably opened up 3 or 4 times each week for Skip to enjoy sailing. How many people are doing that good at finding time to sail?
Cronic Dry Hull Condition
What keeps me out off the boat this Spring? The #$@*&%# boat yard! They are struggling through a 4 to 5 week backlog as I sit and watch the sun bleach out my new bottom paint. I am at the point where I'll just sit in the cockpit with a cold brew and say "the hell with it!" and enjoy the scenery, looking at that water from the deck of my boat, while held fast to jack stands and concrete blocks. It was a hard winter. Happy trails! Stu Timm Karakahl 1979 O'Day 22 CB
What keeps me out off the boat this Spring? The #$@*&%# boat yard! They are struggling through a 4 to 5 week backlog as I sit and watch the sun bleach out my new bottom paint. I am at the point where I'll just sit in the cockpit with a cold brew and say "the hell with it!" and enjoy the scenery, looking at that water from the deck of my boat, while held fast to jack stands and concrete blocks. It was a hard winter. Happy trails! Stu Timm Karakahl 1979 O'Day 22 CB
We're with Skip too.
We go to church and then to the same lake, Erie. But it's 90 minutes and daysailing a 37-footer after lunch is a big job. And weather was a very large factor this Spring. My boat had to go in without any cleaning or waxing, there was no time and I was holding up another boat. But can't give up the job and won't give up the grandkids. One time out in the next week or two will make everything OK.
We go to church and then to the same lake, Erie. But it's 90 minutes and daysailing a 37-footer after lunch is a big job. And weather was a very large factor this Spring. My boat had to go in without any cleaning or waxing, there was no time and I was holding up another boat. But can't give up the job and won't give up the grandkids. One time out in the next week or two will make everything OK.
So Far Away
Love to sail...the whole family is getting into it...our boat (Catalina 30)is 5.5 hrs away on the coast...
Love to sail...the whole family is getting into it...our boat (Catalina 30)is 5.5 hrs away on the coast...
Very Fortunate For The Few Hours I Have
I hate to get sappy about this, but when I look around at my neighbours who are struggling to keep the roof over their head and their childrens' bellies full, I am very grateful for the little time I am blessed with.Who am I to complain about balance. My children are healthy, I have a wonderful wife, and a house and boat that are paid for. If I'm allowed to register one complaint, I just wish the season was longer where I live. So much to cram into too few months. Oh well, makes me appreciate the time I have. Great question. Don
I hate to get sappy about this, but when I look around at my neighbours who are struggling to keep the roof over their head and their childrens' bellies full, I am very grateful for the little time I am blessed with.Who am I to complain about balance. My children are healthy, I have a wonderful wife, and a house and boat that are paid for. If I'm allowed to register one complaint, I just wish the season was longer where I live. So much to cram into too few months. Oh well, makes me appreciate the time I have. Great question. Don
Have a great wife!
I'm fortunate to have a wonderful wife who enjoys the boat as much as I do. However, she does enjoy puttering around the house and garden in the spring time. I get started on my "Honey Do" list early in the spring and by boating season it's pretty much done. Any odds and ends left over can be accomplished after work during the week. I was also able to extend our boating weekends by installing a sprinkler system so we wouldn't have to come home early to water the grass and flowers. All in all, life is good, but it would nice if we had a longer boating season here in the Northeast.
I'm fortunate to have a wonderful wife who enjoys the boat as much as I do. However, she does enjoy puttering around the house and garden in the spring time. I get started on my "Honey Do" list early in the spring and by boating season it's pretty much done. Any odds and ends left over can be accomplished after work during the week. I was also able to extend our boating weekends by installing a sprinkler system so we wouldn't have to come home early to water the grass and flowers. All in all, life is good, but it would nice if we had a longer boating season here in the Northeast.
This Week it's Gales
Kids are grown. Own my own business with lots of felixibility on work schedules. My wife loves to sail. Live in a sailor's paradise. Am very, very fortunate. Have a quiet week work wise. Planned to take Shibumi across the Strait of Georgia this week to Howe Sound just North of Vancouver. This needs a week with coming and going time and a few days for gunkholing. Love that wind, but it's been too much the last couple of days. We had breakfast yesterday at friends who live on a point. Their wind gauge was reading a steady 35-40 kts with gusts up to 60. Gales are predicted today again. So what's keeping me off the water right now is wind! What's wrong with this picture? Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
Kids are grown. Own my own business with lots of felixibility on work schedules. My wife loves to sail. Live in a sailor's paradise. Am very, very fortunate. Have a quiet week work wise. Planned to take Shibumi across the Strait of Georgia this week to Howe Sound just North of Vancouver. This needs a week with coming and going time and a few days for gunkholing. Love that wind, but it's been too much the last couple of days. We had breakfast yesterday at friends who live on a point. Their wind gauge was reading a steady 35-40 kts with gusts up to 60. Gales are predicted today again. So what's keeping me off the water right now is wind! What's wrong with this picture? Gary Wyngarden S/V Shibumi H335
Yard work and kids' sports
although, right now its the unseasonably cold spring that is holding us back.
although, right now its the unseasonably cold spring that is holding us back.
Distance...
Living 160 miles from lakes large enough for good sailing, working full time, general busy-ness of life, cost of renting accomodations because family idea of camping is Best Western or similar.
Living 160 miles from lakes large enough for good sailing, working full time, general busy-ness of life, cost of renting accomodations because family idea of camping is Best Western or similar.
too much to list
things that keep me off the water range from the normal stuff like job and work around the house to things i would have never expected. a fair-skinned gfriend who can't take too much sun is going to be one of the most difficult to work around. usually i have wednesday afternoons and saturday mornings free but even those times which ear-marked "sailing time" rarely seem to pan out. from where i stand my only option is to simply wait for retirement (which at age 24 could be quite a wait). one thing that has helped was buying the sailing simulator for the PC which while the boat isn't as realistic the maintenance is much less
TTaylor
things that keep me off the water range from the normal stuff like job and work around the house to things i would have never expected. a fair-skinned gfriend who can't take too much sun is going to be one of the most difficult to work around. usually i have wednesday afternoons and saturday mornings free but even those times which ear-marked "sailing time" rarely seem to pan out. from where i stand my only option is to simply wait for retirement (which at age 24 could be quite a wait). one thing that has helped was buying the sailing simulator for the PC which while the boat isn't as realistic the maintenance is much less
TTaylorWORK
Work keeps me off the water, but also thunderstorms and wind over 25kts. It is shear torture to be at work on a 10-15kt day with the sun glistening on Biscayne Bay. Now that the days are longer, I get out after work for a short sail weather permitting. I'm even sailing at night now.
Work keeps me off the water, but also thunderstorms and wind over 25kts. It is shear torture to be at work on a 10-15kt day with the sun glistening on Biscayne Bay. Now that the days are longer, I get out after work for a short sail weather permitting. I'm even sailing at night now.
Last year I would have said work but....
This year work has fallen to second place behind family for keeping me off the water. We had our first baby in December and it's amazing how time consuming the little one can be. You can't do anything on the spur of the moment anymore. I didn't get out at all this winter. I've got my fingers crossed for next weekend though. Paul Emley "TESS", #1433 1974, Dinnette, outboard Vancouver, B.C., Canada
This year work has fallen to second place behind family for keeping me off the water. We had our first baby in December and it's amazing how time consuming the little one can be. You can't do anything on the spur of the moment anymore. I didn't get out at all this winter. I've got my fingers crossed for next weekend though. Paul Emley "TESS", #1433 1974, Dinnette, outboard Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Nothing!
and Mark Johnson, my wife's better than your wife. <g> I just keep saying 'YES DEAR'. For some reason the puttzin' around the house gets done, just in time to go the boat on Friday evening or Sat. morning. Pack the dog, the car, the wife and do our 170 miles from Carson City to Rio Vista (3 hours). Occasionally we have social events that take prescedence but try to limit them to fall and winter events.
and Mark Johnson, my wife's better than your wife. <g> I just keep saying 'YES DEAR'. For some reason the puttzin' around the house gets done, just in time to go the boat on Friday evening or Sat. morning. Pack the dog, the car, the wife and do our 170 miles from Carson City to Rio Vista (3 hours). Occasionally we have social events that take prescedence but try to limit them to fall and winter events.
Well, Steve!...
Nothing keeps me from the boat on weekends! If there is some kind of function thats not water related, we just send regrets! Most of our friends are boaters, so no one schedules anything on weekends during boating season, and those that aren't boaters know that the Johnsons won't be there if the weather is good.<grin> Does it get better than that?
Nothing keeps me from the boat on weekends! If there is some kind of function thats not water related, we just send regrets! Most of our friends are boaters, so no one schedules anything on weekends during boating season, and those that aren't boaters know that the Johnsons won't be there if the weather is good.<grin> Does it get better than that?
Yo, Mark!
That is exactly the way I look at it but............. and you know a good wife is hard to find! (especially one that likes boating like we do).
That is exactly the way I look at it but............. and you know a good wife is hard to find! (especially one that likes boating like we do).
I missed a few days of this post, but...
...I would have been the first to reply that usually nothing stops us. The wife and I head out whenever we can on weekends all summer and two full weeks in the summer. Sometimes work interferes (gotta pay for the boat, you know), but, luckily, not too often.
...I would have been the first to reply that usually nothing stops us. The wife and I head out whenever we can on weekends all summer and two full weeks in the summer. Sometimes work interferes (gotta pay for the boat, you know), but, luckily, not too often.
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