How To Make A Sailing Life Change

[Sue & Larry]

I need a mentor. I'm a Midwestern writer and a frustrated sailor-not a very good one, I should add, though I'm enthusiastic. I'm mostly landlocked. I have a 16-foot sloop on a northern Minnesota lake but I can't handle it alone. My ex-husband was a good sailor but hated it. I'm 55, looking at early retirement and freelancing, but all I want to do is be on the water, and-this will sound stupid from an otherwise confident woman-I'm stumped as to how to go about it. I don't think I can do it alone. I meet people who are already good sailors and look at me blankly when I talk about trying to practice. I've taken several sailing courses (including Womanship), but the intervals in between are long. I could sure use some advice on ways to proceed. -- Catherine The answer from Larry and Sue: We meet an amazing number of men who are out here cruising alone because their ex-partner didn't like sailing. Believe it or not, we have good friends who met through a personal ad placed in a cruising publication. They cruised for years and are now married. Maybe this could work for you. If that's not your style, we would at least recommend that as soon as you can, you make the move somewhere that you can live aboard. In that environment, you're bound to have opportunities to do more sailing with others, and gain confidence and experience. Best Regards, Sue & Larry