Ok, I admit it, I LOVE sailing on OPB (other people's boats). I will also admit that I often have high anxiety when sailing my own boat.
Why? I think I know why. I live aboard and everything I own and have worked for is all encapsulated in that wonderful fiberglass hull of mine. I think I worry too much about the worst case scenario. What bothers me though is that I don't worry rationally about it...
Here's what I mean. A friend of mine wanted to go out for a sailboat race when the winds were forcast to be 35kts gusting 45kts. Good crew, good boat, I'm in!! Should be a BFS! I don't expect any problems or gear failure because as I said, I know the crew and it's a good crew and a well found/maintained boat.
Now on to my ship. Everything overbuilt for blue water. Everything (well not everything
) in well maintained shape and I have a good crew aboard as well. Yet I often find myself with a quickened heart rate when untying from my slip even just to go for a short motor in calm weather. At the wheel I often run through a whole series of catastrophic scenarios and find my enjoyment of the cruise is often blunted because of my constant anxiety. It only happens on MY boat though.
What do I do about it? Going out more and more often seems to be of the most help in lessening the anxiety. Well actually rum works best but we can't always be using that can we? Other than that I maintain my boat well, but don't want to become an over-zelous slip-side boat spender, emptying my account needlessly replacing things and adding more "safety gear".
I do continue to go out as often as possible and I don't let it keep me dockside, but the anxiety continues to stow away and come along too. Anyone else have the jitters taking their own boat out? What do YOU do about it?
MedSailor
Why? I think I know why. I live aboard and everything I own and have worked for is all encapsulated in that wonderful fiberglass hull of mine. I think I worry too much about the worst case scenario. What bothers me though is that I don't worry rationally about it...
Here's what I mean. A friend of mine wanted to go out for a sailboat race when the winds were forcast to be 35kts gusting 45kts. Good crew, good boat, I'm in!! Should be a BFS! I don't expect any problems or gear failure because as I said, I know the crew and it's a good crew and a well found/maintained boat.
Now on to my ship. Everything overbuilt for blue water. Everything (well not everything
) in well maintained shape and I have a good crew aboard as well. Yet I often find myself with a quickened heart rate when untying from my slip even just to go for a short motor in calm weather. At the wheel I often run through a whole series of catastrophic scenarios and find my enjoyment of the cruise is often blunted because of my constant anxiety. It only happens on MY boat though.What do I do about it? Going out more and more often seems to be of the most help in lessening the anxiety. Well actually rum works best but we can't always be using that can we?
Other than that I maintain my boat well, but don't want to become an over-zelous slip-side boat spender, emptying my account needlessly replacing things and adding more "safety gear". I do continue to go out as often as possible and I don't let it keep me dockside, but the anxiety continues to stow away and come along too. Anyone else have the jitters taking their own boat out? What do YOU do about it?
MedSailor
