Sail Vs Powerboats?

[ImASonOfaSailor]

I think one day there is going to be more people learning to sail! How many of you switched from Power to sail? What made you do it? Of course some reasons why people like power over sail is.

=Quickly get to destination
=No work
=Easy to pull out of water

[Freesail99]

With gas heading to $4 a gallon I think you'll see less power boats even put into the water this year.

[Boasun]

Originally Posted by Freesail99

With gas heading to $4 a gallon I think you'll see less power boats even put into the water this year.

True but if the government could find a way of taxing the wind usage they will. Then it will be time to move to another planet. Preferably one with water.

[sailortjk1]

Originally Posted by Freesail99

With gas heading to $4 a gallon I think you'll see less power boats even put into the water this year.

Or leaving the dock.

As far as the original post, We have always been sailors.
Dad bought a Sunfish for the family when I was 12, hooked ever since.

[JeffZissou]

Switched from power to sail after a trip to the BVIs. The challenge of sailing was one of the main reasons

[T37Chef]

I always loved being on the water, in a canoe, kayak, yacht, whatever...my first boat was a cheap 15' runabout I bought at 18, a few years later I purchased a 22' Sea Ray Sundancer. Thats what got me hooked on the whole cruising thing, doing overnight, visiting ports of call, etc. I sold the Sea Ray when I moved to California.

When I returned to Maryland I yearned to be back on the water, anyway I could. My uncle told me of a junk Buccaneer sailboat that was for sail at his marina for a whopping $200, so I bought it. The piece of crap boat is what really got me into sailing. The motion of the boat and being so connected to nature...I was hooked. Just two seasons later we made the jump to our current boat.

There are times I wish I had a powerboat, but only in addition to our sailboat, for a run to St Michaels for some crabs at the Crab Claw or to do some water skiing, but that isn't in the budget anytime soon

If I were to buy a power yacht someday, it would probably be a trawler ;(

[Watermelon]

I always find it comforting that in terms of gas, I can enjoy a season on the lake on less than 3 gallons of gas. (a season is almost year round)

And now to bring it back on topic, I've always been a sailor.. My parents were sailors way before I was even born, and they'd always take the whole family out on the boat, even when I was a screaming little tyke. My in-laws are powerboaters, but they haven't groused about the gas prices for the boat yet, just for their vehicles. They actually want to trade in their power boat for an even larger power boat or houseboat to live upon. I've tried converting them to the light side of boating (sailing), and they do enjoy sailing . They're still powerboaters, but I do what I can.

[kwaltersmi]

I was raised a powerboater. Here are the reasons I switched to sail:

-quiet and peaceful sailing
-low fuel costs/needs
-romanticism and challenge of harnessing the wind
-potential to go great distances

[merlin2375]

I've done both and enjoy sail so much more overall but each has their strength. Fishing for me is the main reason to really go out power boating.

There's just no real magic to being out on a power boat, when you're out sailing there's something very basic about it that makes it special.

[southernsmoke]

Power is becoming so expensive I nixed the idea entirely of getting one of these boats. I'm sure I'm not alone.