You need to get on the water

You work hard and your priorities are straight, working to live. You are harboring dreams of sailing the world and working hard to make that happen.

The beauty of YouTube sailing channels, sailing forums, magazines, and books is that you can learn a lot, get a lot of information, and get a lot of ideas but all of that “on-line” work doesn’t matter much unless you get out on the water and sail.

The number one response I give when clients ask me how they can prepare to go on extended cruising is to get on the water. It seems obvious, but it’s not easy. You can always read another book, watch another video, or read another article like this one.

You need to put the computer away, and get out sailing. Here are some practical tips:

1. Are you competitive? Do you live in a place that has racing?

   • If so, join a crew and race. It will get you out on the water. Of course racing is not for everyone, and it will not necessarily improve your sailing skills immediately but you will be out on the water and you will start build a community of sailors.

2. Less competitive? Do you live near a lake or body of water?

   • Can you find a kayak, sailboat, paddleboard, or canoe? Being out on the water, in whatever active capacity, will build your skills and equipment knowledge.

3. Are you social? Do you live in a place that has a sailing club?

   • Can you find a sailing club to join? Sailing clubs are a great way to meet people, learn about sailing, and get out on the water. I’m not saying that someone in the club is going to teach you to sail, more likely you may go out on a boat with them and have some social time, but it will be time on the water, and it counts.

4. Do you think you will be sailing alone? Think about getting a small sailboat and going out alone.

   • You can learn a lot about sailing by yourself. You can learn about the equipment, the weather, the water, and the sailing itself. You can also learn about yourself and your limits.

5. Are you hoping your family will join you?

   • Sailing with your family is great, but it’s critical that everyone has a good time. This is a topic for another article, but it’s important to have a plan. I would highly recommend taking it slow as you pursue your dreams, to be considerate of your family and friends as sailing might not be their immediate dream, but it very well may be later if you manage it well.

What’s the point of getting on the water?

Every experience on the water is a learning experience. You will learn about yourself, your equipment, and your limits. You will also learn about the water, the weather, and the sailing itself.

Be sure to log your time on the water, and your experiences. This will help you build your skills and your confidence. Start a diary, record the weather, the conditions, and your experiences. Do this for every trip, and every experience. This will be critical to your success.

Personally I’ve had thousands of days on the water and I can seriously say that each one has been memorable. Even the boring ones, and especially the bad days. So, challenge yourself. Do you hate the cold? Go sailing in the cold. Are you intimidated by strong winds? Go sailing in progressively windier conditions. Do you hate the rain? Go sailing in the rain.

Remember, sailing is all about taking the conditions as they come.

For me, one of the things that gave me the most anxiety was sailing in the overcast conditions of the Pacific Northwest when I first moved to Seattle from San Francisco. In Seattle I would get out on a dark, overcast day and my mood would be anxious, worried about the conditions. This was a great learning experience for me. It lead me to learn more about the weather.

I started to really examine why the overcast bothered me. Why did the lack of sun bother me? Why did the overcast make me anxious?

Over time I realized that I simply was not used to it! I was not used to sailing in the rain. The answer was part mental, part physical.

The physical part was slowly solved with proper equipment. The mental part, I had to realize that the sun was still shining above those clouds and they were not going to last forever (even if they were going to last the entire weekend).

By learning to read the weather, recognizing the clouds, and being able to forecast what’s coming, I was able to overcome my anxiety.

For you it will something different. Maybe the motion of the boat. Maybe it’s sailing upwind when the boat heels over, or whatever else.

So, challenge yourself, get out there, and learn by doing. Share your experiences with us. We would love to hear from you in our comments section below.