Is sailing romantic?

Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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Why do people have such a romantic streak when it comes to sailing?

Read most poems and they write through rose coloured glasses about life at sea. People seem to think romance and sailing go together.

Anyone who has a boat knows there is always work to be done, usually on the heads or engine besides a million other jobs. Being stuck in a storm is not my idea of a romantic situation. Neither is having someone aboard who is continually sea sick.

On a long sail the crew can smell, the boat can get damp, cooking gets down to basics as does most other things.

So is sailing romantic or am I an old sceptic (you can also read that as septic)?
 
It's the old red sails in the sunset thing. Yachts look graceful in the distance when you can't hear the skipper swearing at the crew, the galley slave searing at the skipper and can't smell the crew throwing up all over the place.
 
Sailing boats can be romantic as long as you don't disconnect from shore power and go to sea.

An oil lit cabin, copious booze and some decent food, job done.
 
I think sailing is wonderful

Jill and I are much more relaxed on the boat than at home

it is romantic - the sea...time...nature

wonderful

and I have red sails

we had our honeymoon on the Eboat

and she is still with me

obviously not when it is too cold for sailing

D
 
If you have to ask the question you won't fully grasp the answer :-) The Ocean. Independence. Escape. Freedom. Adventure. Mystery. What's over the horizon. The other side of the world within your reach.

Nothing romantic about Frey Bentos, round the cans or the yacht club bar which I suspect is what sailing is about to the many of the "rational" forumites.

I suspect those who grew up gazing at the little dots on the "Oceania" page of the atlas will get it more than those who spent summer evenings dinghy racing.
 
“The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.”

Anyhow, enough romantic stuff! I'm (perhaps wrongly) assuming that for many people on here a long passage is about 2 or 3 days? (Ripeness did develop after a couple of weeks with no water other than essential, long boring story..). On teensy passages food is usually prepped in advance; nice cake in the tin and being fair weather sailors dampness can be avoided.

The Boss brought me tea in bed yesterday, it must be true sailing love :)
 
Is sailing romantic?
Click to expand...
No. No-one in their right mind finds it romantic. Sailors find it romantic.

See the story of Amulet, 1960 to 2008 at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjmtgt2k

The first photograph is my father designing her in 1960. He also built her.

The last photograph is my daughter sailing her in 2008.

Amulet was launched 1964.

My father died after a car accident in 1979. We sold Amulet.

We recovered her in 2001.

Irene and I spent our honeymoon on Amulet (first time round), and just got her back in the water for our thirtieth wedding anniversary (second time round).

Aaahh - violins please.
 
Nostrodamus said:
Is sailing romantic?
Click to expand...

Sailing is much more than just a sporting activity.
Its also: an ideal, a mindset, a way of life, ...

When I'm on the boat I can go anywhere I want, whenever I want (only the weather might stop me), free from all ties ashore.
At sea is the only place I really and truly feel in charge of my own life. If everything goes well, it is all my doing. Likewise, when things go tits-up it is all my fault (and other half will make sure to point it out).

Sailors are the only truly free men.
And that is romantic.
 
Amulet said:
No. No-one in their right mind finds it romantic. Sailors find it romantic.

See the story of Amulet, 1960 to 2008 at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjmtgt2k

The first photograph is my father designing her in 1960. He also built her.

The last photograph is my daughter sailing her in 2008.

Amulet was launched 1964.

My father died after a car accident in 1979. We sold Amulet.

We recovered her in 2001.

Irene and I spent our honeymoon on Amulet (first time round), and just got her back in the water for our thirtieth wedding anniversary (second time round).

Aaahh - violins please.
Click to expand...


Fantastic. Thanks for posting that, I shall share that.
 
OR4751 said:
Sailing is much more than just a sporting activity.
Its also: an ideal, a mindset, a way of life, ...

When I'm on the boat I can go anywhere I want, whenever I want (only the weather might stop me), free from all ties ashore.
At sea is the only place I really and truly feel in charge of my own life. If everything goes well, it is all my doing. Likewise, when things go tits-up it is all my fault (and other half will make sure to point it out).

Sailors are the only truly free men.
And that is romantic.
Click to expand...

+1

If you have to ask, then it's just something you do...

.
 
Briliant.

As the owner of a wooden boat of the same vintage that story summarises what is a pretty indescribable, totally illogical, all consuming passion.

We find being aboard very romantic, but it is not the love between us, it is our mutual love of the boat.

We are very lucky.
 
moored in Newtown Creek watching a sunset - pretty romantic
Anchored (as the only boat) in Derrible Bay on Sark with a glass of wine in hand - pretty romantic
Breakfast in the cockpit on a gorgeous morning in Studland Bay with the water like glass - romantic

Crawling on hands and knees in 30 degree heat with the boat in Yarmouth harbour trying to clean and refit the tubestack to my Beta 14 and trying not to have an emotional meltdown due to the continuing engine problems looking like they'll scupper our long-dreamed plans of a first cross-channel trip - not so much

I loved the comment about freedom though - very very true. You feel you can go anywhere, any time for as long as you want. And that feel is rare and powerful. And I guess quite romantic
 
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OR4751 said:
Sailing is much more than just a sporting activity.
Its also: an ideal, a mindset, a way of life, ...

When I'm on the boat I can go anywhere I want, whenever I want (only the weather might stop me), free from all ties ashore.
At sea is the only place I really and truly feel in charge of my own life. If everything goes well, it is all my doing. Likewise, when things go tits-up it is all my fault (and other half will make sure to point it out).

Sailors are the only truly free men.
And that is romantic.
Click to expand...

Agreed 100%
 
Sadly, the reality is somewhat different.

There is always something to pee on your chips and your best hope is to enjoy whatever effective compromise you can come up with at the time.

You exchange one set of problems for another.

But would I change the last 16 years of living aboard....... Naah!!
 
Amulet said:
No. No-one in their right mind finds it romantic. Sailors find it romantic.

See the story of Amulet, 1960 to 2008 at http://flic.kr/s/aHsjmtgt2k

The first photograph is my father designing her in 1960. He also built her.

The last photograph is my daughter sailing her in 2008.

Amulet was launched 1964.

My father died after a car accident in 1979. We sold Amulet.

We recovered her in 2001.

Irene and I spent our honeymoon on Amulet (first time round), and just got her back in the water for our thirtieth wedding anniversary (second time round).

Aaahh - violins please.
Click to expand...

Very special. I enjoyed your post.
 
Nice to see so many people who live on a higher plane than me.
Romantic and legover, in sailing terms, are obviously not synonymous.

i would hasten to add that my views are shaped by experience from a dim and distant past.
 
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