D
Deleted member 478
Guest
For me, it was the articles in National Geographic about Robin Lee Graham and then reading his book, Dove.
Sgeir
Well-Known Member
Always been interested in ships, boats, harbours, but didn't get into sailing until I had to give up climbing. Mind you we had a wee motor boat on the Clyde a few years before that.
Evadne
Well-Known Member
I went to my new school when we moved to Burnham-on-Crouch, and I was 13 and they had a sailing club. I thought it sounded interesting, I'd never heard of such things growing up in and around Basildon.
maby
Well-Known Member
When I was at school, we were given the chance to learn to sail a dinghy instead of playing football - I've always hated any sport that involves running on a muddy field, so it was no contest.
Angele
Well-Known Member
For me, same as Maby.
Plus living on a small island helped.
Plus living on a small island helped.
ianfr
Well-Known Member
SlimRick
Well-Known Member
I thought sailing boats looked pretty, so I bought one.
photodog
Lord High Commander of Upper Broughton and Gunthor
I was 10 and sent to summer camp in Victoria, and they did a bit of sailing, I had a go.. It was a mirror sort of thing.. Bizarrley I was a natural or so it seemed.. Took to it right away.
But I wouldn't say there was any particular driving thing...
But I wouldn't say there was any particular driving thing...
SigmaJon
Member
Played in muddy fields for 25 years, but nothing is quite as muddy as sailing in Essex.
mcalan
Well-Known Member
The price of fuel for my 5.7 Litre mercrusiser
M
MarkG
Guest
Dad used to drag me out on the Thames in a Gull, then a National 12, then I got to sail a Minisail on my own...I expect that put a few watery roots in the head...
stav
Well-Known Member
Father had motor boats and for some reason I always wanted to sail. Read all the sailing books in the library by age 14, Robin Knox-Johnston, Chichester, Grocer chap etal. then had the opportunity to do a CSE in sea studies (which for me was sailing) one morning a week and never looked back and quickly moved on to crewing at the local sailing club and bought my first sailing boat at 17. No idea why I wanted to sail so much though, would like to think I was an old seadog in a former life!
prv
Well-Known Member
Didn't have much choice 
There's a picture of my mum holding me as a babe-in-arms on my grandad's yacht.
When I was about six, my parents clubbed together with my aunt and uncle to buy a Wayfarer.
When I was eight, they bought a Mirror to be specifically my boat, though for the first year or so I sailed it with my dad. After that alone or with my younger brother.
When I was 13, we discovered chartering and flotillas, and did that every summer until I finished university - my parents still do.
At 18 I spent a year in the Army, and did a fair bit of serious sailing out of Kiel.
For several years after that, as a gang of friends we chartered various ropey old boats in the Solent and West Country.
Then when I was 27 my parents and I joined forces again, to buy and refurbish Kindred Spirit.
And I found this place, and signed up to ask one simple question - choosing a brief inscrutable username as I never expected to come back
Pete
There's a picture of my mum holding me as a babe-in-arms on my grandad's yacht.
When I was about six, my parents clubbed together with my aunt and uncle to buy a Wayfarer.
When I was eight, they bought a Mirror to be specifically my boat, though for the first year or so I sailed it with my dad. After that alone or with my younger brother.
When I was 13, we discovered chartering and flotillas, and did that every summer until I finished university - my parents still do.
At 18 I spent a year in the Army, and did a fair bit of serious sailing out of Kiel.
For several years after that, as a gang of friends we chartered various ropey old boats in the Solent and West Country.
Then when I was 27 my parents and I joined forces again, to buy and refurbish Kindred Spirit.
And I found this place, and signed up to ask one simple question - choosing a brief inscrutable username as I never expected to come back
Pete
maby
Well-Known Member
In my wife's case, it was the film Mama Mia - she suddenly announced that she wanted a yacht - who was I to disagree with her?
jac
Well-Known Member
Grew up with it. Dad and uncle had sailing yachts in seventies and eighties. (Well beyond that to but I had left home) . dad bought me a dinghy at about 9. joined school sailing club then sailing team - did a bit of racing with them and at university.
Did the young skippers thing as a group leader a few times at uni where they gave you dazed kipper for agreeing to lead 3 engineless boats with drunk students on board(result)
Then bought own boat when we saved up having started work.
Did the young skippers thing as a group leader a few times at uni where they gave you dazed kipper for agreeing to lead 3 engineless boats with drunk students on board(result)
Then bought own boat when we saved up having started work.
rotrax
Well-Known Member
Always had an interest in boats-I spent most of each summer as a child at Selsey Bill-and there was much to see there. Had all sorts of modest power boats plus a 40 foot Narrow Boat. First mate and I were both pretty serious Motorcycle Racers, me for 45 years non-stop. We decided to retire from the racing in 2008, but started looking for a replacement pastime. We went on a Comp Crew course in Menorca which was a good start, subsequently purchased a share in a modest yacht and sailed at every oppertunity. Five years on we bought our own Yacht, spent a bomb getting it how we wanted her and then changed her for our dreamboat which we love. Sailing has many similarities to motorbike racing-its technical, has an element of adreniline anout it and costs lots of money! We did not think a round of Golf or a game of bowls would fit the bill as a replacement for the bike racing.......................
Sandyman
Well-Known Member
I blamed Chichester 
My father took me to see his return in 67. Couple of years later I got a Sat morning job doing an old boys garden for 2/6d. (some of you will know what that means lol)
He was Lt Cdr Newstead, an ex-RN WW11 submarine skipper. He had a boat on the Thames and often took me out in it. He gave me an old tender
which I repaired, stuck a makeshift mast on it & sailed it on the local lake. Some time later he convinced me to join the Navy.
Joined my first ship HMS Hermione in 72 and my boss on there, Mike Wigston, (died in a power boat accident few years later) had a yacht and asked, nay told me, that I was to join his crew for a weekend sail to Cowes, Newtown and Yarmouth. Unbeknown to me the rest of the crew were Wrens
One weekend turned into a summer of weekends, always with Wrens I was hooked. I then wangled a draft to JSSC where I crewed on several Tall Ships races etc etc.
Then you look back & realise over 40 years have gone by. Gawd how I hated it
My father took me to see his return in 67. Couple of years later I got a Sat morning job doing an old boys garden for 2/6d. (some of you will know what that means lol)He was Lt Cdr Newstead, an ex-RN WW11 submarine skipper. He had a boat on the Thames and often took me out in it. He gave me an old tender
which I repaired, stuck a makeshift mast on it & sailed it on the local lake. Some time later he convinced me to join the Navy.
Joined my first ship HMS Hermione in 72 and my boss on there, Mike Wigston, (died in a power boat accident few years later) had a yacht and asked, nay told me
, that I was to join his crew for a weekend sail to Cowes, Newtown and Yarmouth. Unbeknown to me the rest of the crew were Wrens One weekend turned into a summer of weekends, always with Wrens
I was hooked. I then wangled a draft to JSSC where I crewed on several Tall Ships races etc etc.Then you look back & realise over 40 years have gone by. Gawd how I hated it
OGITD
Well-Known Member
Founder member of our school sailing club, went sailing up at Windermere quite a few weekends & the occasional week, crew for friends from Skippool Creek on the river Wyre.
KREW2
Well-Known Member
My wife and I took on the stewardship of the RCIYC in 1976. We ran it for a year, and made some of our closest friends there. Needless to say they all had saily boats.
fergie_mac66
Well-Known Member
Eric Hiscock
I read an Eric Hiscock Book when I was ten
I read an Eric Hiscock Book when I was ten
