The Joy of Sailing

When we started thinking about coastalboating.net, we knew we wanted to appeal to the soul of the sailor in all of us. But we weren’t sure if we could do it. How could we create a resource that would suit all types of sailors, including day sailors, racers and cruisers? Is there a common thread that binds us all? Is there something that drives all of us toward the water, and is that something the same thing for all of us? The answers that came to us are “yes” and “no.”

Our scientific training caused us to begin by examining the commonalities and differences in a systematic manner. We made a list and checked it twice. Then we threw it away. Why? Because truly, there’s a little of each side in all of us, no? Let’s see.

day-sailing: sailing out and about for the sheer pleasure
racing: sailing to try to go faster than another boat
cruising: sailing to go from one place to another

Who among us hasn’t gone out for a short sail on “THE” perfect day – 15 knot breeze, golden sunshine, gentle swell, lovely boat, a couple of hours on our own? What cruiser hasn’t become a racer as soon as a boat smaller, stouter, or similar came creeping up on us from behind? And how many racers haven’t actually gone out sailing for pleasure?

Okay, there may be a purist who does exclusively one or the other, but the thing that really binds us together… the soul of the sailor… is not the type of sailing we do, but the fact that we’re out there doing it. Hearing the wind, the water, the rigging and nothing else. Feeling the wind press into the sails and creating motion along the water. Watching the ripples in the distance come closer and closer until our boat is lifted and propelled with an unseen force into its groove. Seeing the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, and everything else we don’t see in our cubicles of daily life. Becoming one with nature – being closer to God, for it surely must be He who created this perfect day, this beautiful place, this cherished boat, this ideal moment. Yes, we believe that’s what binds us together.

So here’s to the soul of the sailor in all of us. Here’s to the “Joy of Sailing”. See you out there.