why sailing?

Getting back to my passion for sailing.... I had a few eyebrows raised over my statment about hating sailing. It started about age 11.This was my first ocean voyage; and my one and only encounter with a hurricane at sea. That event alone made me hate and fear sailing. But, against all the arguments I could present, we still sailed to Bernuda every summer. Our perpetual shake down cruise for around the world trip, one day. My hate for sailing grew. I wanted to spend the summer at home playing with my friends. Slowly as I entered in my teen years, Bermuda itself became a drawing factor. And I was allowed to bring friends along sailing. The hate began to lose it's edge. And then one day there was a love and a passion there; like the day I realized I loved the man who was to become my husband. It was like a veil being removed and I could see clearly....meg

why sailing?

A thought about the American girl sailing around the world. I want to offer her my encouragement on a job well done. What I understand happened, is she encountered a storm with gale force winds, and a rogue wave that de-masted her vessel. What I can discern she stayed calm and appropriately responded to her circumstances.

why sailing?

let us add a bit of controversy in this blog: did anyone watch the 20/20 last week where the 16 year old Aussie girl and the 16 year old American girl were sailing around the world each alone? The question was; were they too young to make such a voyage? My father was 65 when he and my mom made their voyage, was he too old? I am not saying anyone can make that trip. It takes a level of maturity and skill to sail alone or with a crew for that matter. Sometimes, I think, having crew can make a sailing trip around the world far more difficult. These young women seemed well able to make such a voyage. As for the parents, my father made me a full crew member at age 15. So when I was on watch I had full responsiblity for the boat and people on board. Was this wrong? I do not believe it was. I had enough experience, skill, and maturity to match any crew member we had aboard of any age. I think age to some degree is not the issue. Other factors are a stronger issue.----meg

why sailing?

oops! I bet you thought I forgot my blog this week? No such luck! As I was saying my dad handed down the passion for sailing to me the 4th of four girls. He started me sailing in the Chesapeake Bay at the age of 6 years old. He had me sailing our catamaran. She looked like a wooden shoe from the side view. I basicly learned to sail multi-hull boats first. I remember we would sail over to the sandy beach on the barrier island where I now live. I also remember sailing home one evening and having flood lights trained on us because someone thought we were poaching their oyster beds Funny the things you remember as a kid,I must have been impressed with the lights and gruff voice behind the lights. Back to sailing, it was fun and a bit of adventure in my young life.But,soon I would go through a time of hating sailing.....