Extremely NEW!

[chrisbeba]

way new!
do you need any sort of license to sail?
i live on the Potomac in Va. and am curious
to know if you can sail a 27'' to 31'' from Va. beach, Va. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. safely?;
--after lessons of course..
PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! CGIBSON783@AOL.COM

[chrisbeba]

way new!
do you need any sort of license to sail?
i live on the Potomac in Va. and am curious
to know if you can sail a 27'' to 31'' from Va. beach, Va. to Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. safely?;
--after lessons of course..
PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! CGIBSON783@AOL.COM

[Jeff_H]

There really is no official licensing required to sail a boat. There are schools that teach sailing and issue certificates.

So, while there are no specific legal licensing requirements that would prevent you from sailing a 27'' to 31'' boat from Virginia to Fort Lauderdale, there is the common sense issue that says you had better know what you are doing. Sailing in the Atlantic can be tricky. There are basically three routes from Virginia to Florida. In one you head offshore roughly to Bermuda and take a right, in the second you take the intercoastal waterway south of Cape Hatteras head out into the Atlantic until you reach the Rhumb line from the prior course and then hang a right and a third which is to motor down the Intercoastal Waterway heading out into the Atlantic for short hops when conditions permit. All three take a very good quality, well maintained 27 to 31 footer and more than a beginner''s knowledge.

Jeff

[susieq]

Hi Jeana... I hear you loud and clear and am in the same boat...my beau loves sailing and I hate it. I feel the exact same way as you do when the sails goes up/come down and the keeling affect...scares me something awful. Feels like the boat is going over on its side. Doesn''t matter how much he tells me this is safe, it just doesn''t FEEL safe. And, I can''t get him to hear me. My relucance to go out is seriously affecting our relationship. I have asked him to take it slow, take me out on less windy days, to get to trust it, to take me back when I get scared, to let me get my feet wet, so to speak. I love motor boats (sorry sailors!)no fear there, but sailing...being on a slant just doesn''t feel safe. I would love to overcome this fear but I don''t understand how being on tipped on one''s side is safe. So, glad to see someone else feels the same way.

[183]

Dear Susieq,

Thank You,Thank You for your reply. I have been outta town and just now logged on. So nice to see/ read that there is another someone out there, like me. It is also nice ''cuz your female. my last reply was inspiring, but he ain''t a girl

Well, I have sailed on the new boat. It''s a 28 ft. San Juan. It is going okay, but I still can''t shake the feeling of death at any moment. I got the best book in the world at a marina in Seattle. It is called "Sailing Fundamentals" by Gary Jobson. It is the "official learn to sail" book. The reason I like it so much is because I am actually learning something and finding I like it. Unlike most sailing "how to''s" it isn''t so technical that you feel patronized. It is like a big, juicy school book, that has quizzes at the end. It isn''t corny at all. Just get it and try it. I am noticing that if I know what my Beau is really talking about, then my fear subsides- alittle- and I take the next step.
The last time we went out the wind was up to 8 knots- perfect for learning- and we heeled over about 12 degress. Am I saying all that right? Well, it scared the !*! outta me, but I did it, and I went w/ it and I was okay. However, I can''t stand being on that thing for more than an hr and a half. My beau is planning a trip for us, it will be at least 8 hrs. and that''s just one way! Oh, dear!!

Our boat is on Lake Pend Orielle-- Spell? It''s in Idaho. I live in Washington state. How about you?

Sorry to talk your ear off!
Write back, soon & happy sailing...yea, right!!!

Jeana

[susieq]

Hi Jeana
So glad to hear from you!! I was wondering why I hadn''t heard anything back from you and was just showing my beau what I was doing "for him" by taking him to this website when I came upon your reply!! It was a relief to show him someone else feels the same way I do. So, you''ve been on the boat. Oh My God!! You are brave. I have told my beau time and time again to take it slow. He is a royal pain in the butt about my not sailing. He just doesn''t listen when I say I want to take it slow and get use to it. The problem is that we have gone sailing and the times we''ve been out have been nightmares for me in experience. They haven''t been ideal for learning, in fact they have been major turn offs. He is an experienced sailor and he thinks I should like it as much as he does. He thinks my fears are silly. I resent that. I just don''t like keeling (leaning over), I don''t like the feeling, it feels like we are going to go over, it scares the sh.. out me. I want to get over my fear and his solution is just to go and do it. It is not my solution. I want low winds and just go out for a little bit, ease my way into it. His first boat was around 23 feet and now he has a 34 foot boat, a Joette (something like that, don''t ask me). We sail on Lake Ontario. It can be unpredicable. In fact, one book that he gave me said, don''t take your significant other on Lake Ontario to start, to go to the BVI''s (British Virgin Islands). I wrote down the name of that book you mentioned so that I can get it. Have you looked at Sailing for Dummies? My beau bought it for me at Xmas. I have read other books - too techncial. Thankfully, the weather hasn''t been too co-operative of late to go out sailing. He is also been doing alot of work on his boat, with top of the line electronic stuff, a new boom as last year it came off while he was sailing (!!!! loose bolt) and he had to be rescued by the coast guard (thankfully, I wasn''t there) Oh, the stories I could tell you!! Anyway, he claims this new boat (used) is sturdier and he has both sails as roller furling, he says its easier and suppose to be less rocky when the sails go up and down. He has spent a fortune on it with fixing the motor and batteries and all these fancy electronic gadgets with computers, the new boom and everthing. I just wish he''d ease up on the pressure and give me credit for still wanting to try. I don''t like being on the boat for long periods of time either, I get bored at times. I understand what you''re saying about an 8 hour trip!! I did 9 hours one time. His birthday is coming up in 2 weeks and he wants to go away for the weekend on the boat. Yikes. One time, it took us 6 hours to go from one place to the other which by car would have taken 40 minutes!! All because of the wind and having to tack, back and forth, and in rough waters!!! I was black and blue all over after that trip because he didn''t have the roller furling and I had to pull the sails in everytime we tacked, this was on his other boat and it only had a rudder for steering!!! Now, that is an experience you don''t soon forget, let me tell you. So, glad to have met you. Let me know more about your experiences and how your beau is with you about it all. Take care and happy (LOL) sailing.

[183]

Hey, Susieq ~
Thanks for you note and words of wisdom. Not to sound corny, but I can''t begin to tell you how much better I feel knowing that you are out there, like me, trying to get this sailing stuff. I am so glad your beau was there to see my msg. back to you. I, too, showed my beau this site- he didn''t know about it- and your notes to me. He thinks it''s pretty cool. As for sailing, I just keep reading and praying...HA! Here is what I told my beau and it''s hard for him to realize... sailing just ain''t "my thing." It can be "your thing" and I will do the best I can to learn etc, but I really do not like it! I love snow and to snowmobile, he hates anything like that, so- we compromise! Isn''t that what healthy relationships are about? I won''t put myself in danger, but I will hang out w/ him and sail a little- but as I told him, I wouldn''t be doing this at all, if I wasn''t your girl. I do not HAVE to like it. Does that sound like a brat? Well, he won''t try snowmobiling, so I guess he understands.
Your lake sounds horrific!!! Our lake is a sketchy one, too. One minute it is as calm and smooth as glass, then the next it is windy, choppy and the skies are black and furious looking! Oh, guess what? It doesn''t help either that I hate the wind! Of all of Mother Nature''s elements... snow, heat, hail, thunderstorms, ETC... I hate wind!
Not good, if one wants to sail!
Your last note reminded me of a time that my beau and I got caught in this storm- my 2nd time out. It had been a gorgeous day- then ol'' Mother nature and her stinking wind!! Long-story-short, I was screaming at my beau, telling him I hated him for doing this to me, how we were going to die, ETC. Until I realized he was the only one who was gonna save us/ get us the heck ouuta there, so I started yelling "I love you, I love you..."
How sick and pathetic! HA! Looking back now we get a good laugh! He does. And that spot where we "almost died" has been renamed in my honor- "The straits of scream!"
Well, I am psyching myself up for our first big sail- It is in 4 days. I am just going to be positive! You, too.

Take care and w/b soon.
Jeana

[artisky]

Hello Sailers,

I have been dying to sail again since I left Baltimore. I live in Arlington Texas and would like to hear from anyone around this area who is sailing and can help me get started again. Where do I begin? I have been to a couple lakes see the Sails and just envy those out on the water..wishing it were me. Help Please.

[susieq]

Hi Jeana,I just read your message...gave me a big laugh...straits of scream...man, can I relate!!! Been there, done that! Makes me feel like a shrew. I''m with you in that I support what he likes but I don''t get the support back. I love bike riding and hiking. I''m more physical than my beau. I get bored on the boat after a couple of hrs. Was out on it recently with friends and it was really windy, I ended up yelling and screaming at him every time it heeled. His thinking is like a parent trying to teach a child to swim is just throw them in the water where I want to go to the shore and dip my toes in. He knows I don''t like the heeling and I don''t like it when he puts me in a position where I yell at him. However, we went out again on a really calm day and it was a lovely sail, no heeling. But, we were out for 6hrs...boring. We too, have laughed at some "adventures", one time in heavy waves as we approached Toronto Island, he dropped his sails and tried to start the motor which didn''t and we got pushed into the break wall, I had to jump off to prevent the boat from hitting the wall, after doing so...I kept walking!! He was yelling at me to jump back on the boat..but I figured eh!I''m on LAND, no way am I getting back on that boat!! Anyway, I did end up getting back on but we laugh about it. But, like you said we share different activities. Nothing wrong with that in my book, he expects me to love sailing but I don''t expect him to like what I like. MEN. Anyway, fun chatting with you take care. Tell me about your upcoming trip!!!

[Water_buoy]

I'm new here, so, is this live chat or what?