How do you use your boat

[BarryL]

Hey,

I have an O'day 35, a basic cruiser / racer from the mid 80's. I primarily day sail in the Long Island sound. I spend a few weekends aboard during the season and every once in a while I'll spend a week aboard. I have traveled 80 miles east to Block Island, 80 miles west to New York city and many places in between.

I have no plans to sail in the open ocean, no desire to live aboard a boat, and I don't plan on sailing in severe weather. I have been caught in 30+ kt squalls and I know my boat can handle it but most of my sailing allows me to pick a good weather window.

Barry

[flyingwelshman]

Mine's a Hunter 30' which I sail in Georgian Bay.

I practically live aboard her all summer (last summer I think I was home 5 or six nights from mid-June to mid-August)

I usually do overnighters with the odd day sail thrown in.

My wife and I have done a week in June and two weeks in July/August the last couple of years.

I sometimes feel like a charter skipper as I come in to marina, drop off one set of guests, do a quick replenishment, pick up the next group and off we go again.

[Philzy3985]

Catalina 30 here in Southern California. I Live on the boat full-time and intend to untie and sail every good weekend I can. Catalina Island isn't far away so if I get a couple more willing friends I think I will make trips over there, too. For now it's just sailing around for 3-6 hours and coming back.

My first big sailboat, so everyday is a learning experience.

[arf145]

We've got a Pearson 28-2. My wife and I and friends, in some combination, daysail on the Chesapeake about once a week. At the end of many of those days, we anchor in our bay and nap, read, and watch other boats. I do several short trips each year (2 to 4 days) with friends, as my wife is less keen on this. The P28-2 is very good for these uses, a fun day sailer, comfortable for two, enough water and holding tankage for a few days even if we don't spend a night at a marina.

[marcusc130]

We own an Ericson/Olson 34, just purchased last winter. The plan was for 3-5 day cruises around New England, but the arrival of our daughter last march pretty much restricted us to daysailing. I started racing her late in the season and that really helped me find her limits. The plan this summer is to spend most weekends and a couple weeks aboard.

[arvicola-amphibius]

Mine is a Van de Stadt Pioner 9 (meters, being a tad under 30 ft) built from a fibreglass mold in England in 1963. In her day she was raced in Fastnets and crossed the Atlantic 5 times before sailing to Australia.
In the two years that I have owned her I have cruised the east coast of Australia from Brisbane down to Tasmania and now spend most of the summer living aboard in Tasmania, cruising extensively in that wonderful place. We are lucky here that even in a cold place like Tasmania, the sea water never freezes, so there is no need for a winter lay-up. That means that if I want to, I can continue to do short trips any month of the year. In all I would estimate that the boat gets about six months continuous use with about 400 engine hours and 1000 sailing hours each year. Now THAT is value for money!

[RobGallagher]

I have an '88 C&C 30 MKII that is a recent purchase.
My previous boat was a '72 C&C 30 MKI that I owned for 10 yrs.

Although my job gives me loads of vacation time (for an American), I'm limited to what I can use in the summer.

I keep my boat on a mooring in Noank, CT and stay on it every weekend (weather permitting) from the end of May to the end of October. Most of my sailing is simple day sails combined into a night or two on the hook in another harbor close to home. I do several long weekends up Long Island Sound or over to Block Island or the Narragansett bay. One or two weeks a summer I do a short cruise to those same places.

I live near the Pawcatuck River, about 10 minutes drive to Watch Hill RI. One of my regular trips is to drive 25 minutes to my boat in Noank CT, launch the dinghy, load the boat, sail 1 - 2 hours to Watch Hill, cook dinner, spend the night, get ice cream, walk the beach, then sail 1 - 2 hours home the next day.... How's that for serious cruising!

[dinosdad]

I bought a 1972 c&c 30 mk1 last year ( yup I bought robs hand me down!)
I keep it in noank on a mooring not far from robs new boat ( someday destined to be mine) . As it is our first boat period it has been used for day sails and spending weekends and summer vacation on her. Everything has been a first or new experience! Dealing with currents, learning to tie off the halyards so as not to slap against the mast at night, figuring out how much beer is needed when sitting on the mooring all day, calling for a pumpout, watching the sunrise,
Listening to the boat cut through the water.....wish I had done this years ago!
Next year we will venture farther away, long island is on the list as is block island( I owe someone a drink or two when there).

[T37Chef]

Our boat is currently used mostly for weekend overnights on the Chesapeake Bay with an annual 2-3 week trip on the bay, usually staying the night at anchor in a beautiful cove.

One of the primary reasons for choosing our boat was the centerboard with a draft of just over 4' with the board up, ideal for the CB.

I love our boat, its a fantastic sailboat...but if I were to do it again, I would buy a different boat for how we are using it now, not what we want to do someday. I just couldn't help myself when we were shopping

[mgmhead]

Mine is a Catalina 387 and I use it as a coastal cruiser. We had weekend sailed the Chesapeake until this past summer when I retired. Since September we have been cruisers. Initially on the Chesapeake and in October down the ICW to Fort Lauderdale, out Port Everglade into the Atlantic and southwest to Marathon, FL on Boot Key via the 'outside'.

So long as health and desire remain strong we will sail back to the Chesapeake this Spring and then to New England for July/August.

The boat suits the needs of my wife and I, as well as occasional guests. The joke among our boat owning friends is Rhythm drinks 12, feeds 6 and sleeps 2.