Apprehension about Sailing again.

[38mess]

When I was a leisure sailor, the first hour of the first sail for a long time would have me thinking what the hell am I doing out here. After an hour I would settle in. Once the nerves settle I could relax. I never got over the fear of the sea only inches away when well heeled. I now have a power boat with a nice warm wheelhouse. Takes a bit of the fear away.

 

[WoodyP]

I'm pretty confident with the boat. It's forgetting basic navigation, that means revision time .

 

[ryanroberts]

Yes my motorsailor wheelhouse is a great help with that. Also I have big bulwarks and cannot lie, which feel a lot safer moving around on

 

[RJJ]

I don’t think that I would want to sail with someone who wasn’t apprehensive before sailing. For many years our annual cruise involved crossing either the Channel or North Sea. I spent much of the winter wondering how on Earth I would be able to cope with whatever crossing was in prospect but when it came to the point of doing it I was as happy as Larry, the more so when out of sight of land. I have an additional anxiety about how to manoeuvre the boat at close quarters but fenders are wonderful things and I seldom get into difficulties these days. As for being rusty, yes, we often fumble a bit with the business of getting going until we get back into the routine, and it takes maybe twenty minutes before helming feels natural again. One thing the winter break does is make getting back to sea seem all the more romantic.

Completely agree. I'm a little apprehensive every time we set off, after 25 years as a YM and 25,000 miles, of which around 4,000 as skipper, plus some thousands of hours dinghy racing.

the sailing bit doesn't trouble me. But since being an owner I'm developing the habit, every season, of revising my Rules of the Road. I also find the first time I calculate any tidal offsets and tidal curves, it takes me 2-3 times as long, as if I was a beginner. After a couple of goes, I'm back in the groove.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I plan to go straight out into blue water, when my delayed maintenance is done, even if I have no achievable destination and have to come back when supplies get low. Just for the sake of being out there.
The ludicrous arbitrary batflu restrictions, altered daily on the whims of bureaucrats, have taken the attraction away from free'n'easy European country-hopping.
A bit nervous, yes but it goes away..once out of sight of land!

This is exactly my plan. I've got a haul out booked and then about 28days to sail as far out and back as I can. Theoretical target is 2000nm but the weather will decide how far I get. Only restriction I'm giving myself is to remain either in Spanish or International waters so will probably whip out through the Straits of Gib and into the Atlantic.

 

[capnsensible]

This is exactly my plan. I've got a haul out booked and then about 28days to sail as far out and back as I can. Theoretical target is 2000nm but the weather will decide how far I get. Only restriction I'm giving myself is to remain either in Spanish or International waters so will probably whip out through the Straits of Gib and into the Atlantic.

Canaries and back. ??

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Canaries and back. ??

Worried about making it back upwind if I head too far south would like a nice beam reach both ways as I'll have a flight to catch. Will all depend on where the Azores high is as I exit the straits. I'm based in Valencia so its a few days sail just to get to the pillars

 

[capnsensible]

Worried about making it back upwind if I head too far south would like a nice beam reach both ways as I'll have a flight to catch. Will all depend on where the Azores high is as I exit the straits. I'm based in Valencia so its a few days sail just to get to the pillars

Madeira might suit better then. Summer northerlies well set now.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I think we all have apprehension now and again. Trying to silence the mental chatterbox "what If's" can be an interesting challenge.

It's the ego fail safe reminding us to stay alive . Brilliant system, but on it's own, a lousy master but it makes a good servant. Talk to it, thank it for reminding us , tell it everything will be ok. You have manged to get this far despite life's curved balls.