Does sailing have to be "fun"?

Babylon said:
Or is there some other reason why you do it?
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I don't think sailing is always fun. The variety of conditions and the complexity of the overall experience make it extremely rewarding, and the relative hardships help to make the good bits that much better.

For me it is also an enjoyable way of earning a living; Sometimes ;-)

Pete
 
Very often the sailing I enjoy remembering most was far from enjoyable.

I was once asked, about thirty seconds into a race, why I did it when it made me so bloody grumpy. I think the answer is that I enjoy it when it works well.

That's racing though, I am not sure there is a lot of point in cruising if its not fun.
 
Babylon said:
Or is there some other reason why you do it?
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I wouldn't use the word 'fun' but more satisfying or rewarding or relaxing.

Oh and I also freelance in my spare time but not on big boats, just dinghies and small stinkboats. :D
 
Depends on how you see 'fun': getting away from spouse, boss, work pressures... Evaluating and meeting the challenge of the elements, and using them to acheive an objective. Can be hard, dangerous,and very uncomfortable, but still 'fun'.

The challenge and skill of navigating through thick weather - an element much reduced by modern GPS nav aids , nowadays almost completely missing with the precision of satnav - things appear on the horizon when they should and where they should. The thrill of a successful landfall by DR is missing. So is this the stress and danger of getting it wrong! (And I speak as one who 'missed' the SW corner of Wales and only realised in the nick of time I was heading for S America....).

Yes sailing is 'fun' - that's why we do it. Not 'fun' in the seaside entertainment sense, but in the demand any action sport makes of degrees of discomfort, danger, and even at times downright trouser-browning terror.

If we didn't enjoy it, we wouldn't spend all that time and money doing it.
 
My belief is messing about in boats, is messing about in boats and should be fun, sailing, rowing, motor,whatever form it takes, the same thinking goes into the employment during my work life if it ain't enjoyable change jobs.

boating, in the main for most of us, is a hobby or pastime not a chore and by default, is fun, unless of course you are a jet skier and should be taken to the nearest Vets and put down :D
 
oldharry said:
Depends on how you see 'fun': getting away from spouse, boss, work pressures... Evaluating and meeting the challenge of the elements, and using them to acheive an objective. Can be hard, dangerous,and very uncomfortable, but still 'fun'.

The challenge and skill of navigating through thick weather - an element much reduced by modern GPS nav aids , nowadays almost completely missing with the precision of satnav - things appear on the horizon when they should and where they should. The thrill of a successful landfall by DR is missing. So is this the stress and danger of getting it wrong! (And I speak as one who 'missed' the SW corner of Wales and only realised in the nick of time I was heading for S America....).

Yes sailing is 'fun' - that's why we do it. Not 'fun' in the seaside entertainment sense, but in the demand any action sport makes of degrees of discomfort, danger, and even at times downright trouser-browning terror.

If we didn't enjoy it, we wouldn't spend all that time and money doing it.
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+1
 
Contrary to the view of 'getting away from the wife', I would rather sail with my wife, even with her very limited sailing skills, than anyone else. Sailing is something we can do together, enjoying the peace and quiet of an anchorage and relax.

On the boat we are both restricted in what we can do, we are saved from the drudgery of life. At home there would be some chore to, on the boat, well, just chill.
 
galadriel said:
Contrary to the view of 'getting away from the wife', I would rather sail with my wife, even with her very limited sailing skills, than anyone else. Sailing is something we can do together, enjoying the peace and quiet of an anchorage and relax.

On the boat we are both restricted in what we can do, we are saved from the drudgery of life. At home there would be some chore to, on the boat, well, just chill.
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+1

I sail partly so that we can be together and that's been the case since our early twenties, especially as I work away from home a lot during the week.

Not sure about chores at home but not on the boat. At home there are cleaners, builders, dry cleaners to iron shirts, and people to deliver takeaway and supermarket food. If only I could persuade my wife to allow a second dishwasher and I'd never even have to empty one of those again.

Definitely fun for me on a boat, but a more accurate word would be contentment.
 
It's a challenge! For about 5% of my sessions I know that by some fluke of circumstances of wind, tide, heading and my randomly set up rig, that the boat is actually sailing properly, and the challenge to me is to get that percentage up to some acceptable figure, like 20%.
 
CreakyDecks said:
It's a challenge! For about 5% of my sessions I know that by some fluke of circumstances of wind, tide, heading and my randomly set up rig, that the boat is actually sailing properly, and the challenge to me is to get that percentage up to some acceptable figure, like 20%.
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Then go on a Sail Trim course. At the end of a weekend you'll really understand the difference that tensioning a halyard or putting on more outhaul has on the shape of the sail and hence on boatspeed.

Or, get someone who does a lot of offshore racing to come on your boat and show you. They (offshore racers) really understand the benefit of squeezing out just an extra 0.1kt. Used to have a crew member who would spend the first half hour on any tack getting the set up just right. When it meant arriving in Cherbourg an hour earlier, I'd make him a G&T to say "thanks".
 
Angele said:
I guess I must spend too much time at home and not enough on the boat, then, because my "to do" list for the boat is always longer than the one for home! :(
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Naaa! You see you just dont get it. With the boat on the water a little fiddling here and there a 'to do' list is really a list of forthcoming pleasures. (unless the boat is ashore and it Dec, Jan or Feb!). Where as at home creating that new boarder, tidying the garage, finishing off the last bit of the decorating, clearing leaves out of the gutters, fixing the shed roof, weeding etc etc, Ohhhh I think I've just depressed myself.:(
 
galadriel said:
Naaa! You see you just dont get it. With the boat on the water a little fiddling here and there a 'to do' list is really a list of forthcoming pleasures. (unless the boat is ashore and it Dec, Jan or Feb!). Where as at home creating that new boarder, tidying the garage, finishing off the last bit of the decorating, clearing leaves out of the gutters, fixing the shed roof, weeding etc etc, Ohhhh I think I've just depressed myself.:(
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Actually, no. I've sussed it. SWMBO does the decorating at home (and the weeding too, if I'm lucky), whereas all the jobs on the boat are mine. :cool:
 
I just like being on the water. Theres something about it that really washes the day to day drudge away. I don't care what I'm using on the water, be it the boat,dinghy or kayak. Its just nice watching what nature does.
Sailing is a list of achievements and a curve of learning that never ends. Its really good when you get it all right every now and then.
 
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