Snowbirds—those moving their boats south for the winter—pass every day at this time of year. Three so far this morning, And not one of them has a scrap of sail set. This is odd because for the past several days the wind has been ten or twelve knots from the north which is behind them and would have made for fine sailing mostly on a broad reach.
I checked as I probably do each year and the distance from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida, on the Intracoastal is 1,090 miles. Skull Creek is beautiful and I expect other parts of the Intracoastal are too, but that is a lot of powering. More than I have done total in my six circumnavigations.
I have gone up and down the East Coast several times, always on the outside and sailing. I have stopped in Beaufort, North Carolina, twice, other times I went non-stop from Florida to New England or vice versa.
That no sail is set on these boats can only be due to there being no sailors on them. Just owning a boat with a mast does not make one a sailor, though I expect these people call themselves sailors and regale their acquaintances with stories of their ‘adventures’. As I have observed you are what you actually do not what you talk about doing, and sailors sail.
5 comments:
At least these folks untied their boats and went somewhere. I'll give them that much. People have sailboats for many different reasons. Sailing is far down that list.
Not for me.
Agreed Webb, Sailors Sail! I call it the “Ahhh moment” when my motor is turned off and the sails fill in the wind!
sailboats when sailing or powering need a main sail up for safety, unwise without one.not sailors.
With all due respect, there’s a lot of pre-judgment and speculation in your post.
Perhaps these people you observe don’t call themselves sailors or talk of big adventures. Maybe they do. Perhaps they are happy to putter along in their sailboats without ever setting sail. All the power to them (pun intended).
We are individuals. Some people, like you, love to sail. And that’s a wonderful thing which brings you pure joy. I am happy for you and enjoy reading your thoughts and adventures. Not sure why, with all you have accomplished, you have the need to diminish other people’s activities as if their joy is not as special or as good as yours.
As Paul McCartney says, Let It Be.
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