Have you ever felt a surge of adrenaline when you deal with rough conditions? Have you experienced this sense of freedom while navigating the ocean? Or the feeling to have successfully completed your planned voyage? Well, this is the failing implying that sailing is adventurous, sometimes difficult, but also fun! While many sailors feel that you can never have a bad day on the ocean, others agree that rough weather can take away all of the fun of sailing at times. But, what is great in sailing is the independence it provides, as well as the total separation from everything else in your life. Being out on the water, feeling free and confident that nothing will be able to stop you. So, keep reading in order to see if sailing is really fun!

Sailing; a Way of Life

While sailing is a fantastic way to enjoy the outdoors, it does necessitate a greater level of participation than practically any other sort of boating. When you learn to sail, you will not only become intimately acquainted with all parts of your boat but also with how your boat interacts with its surroundings. This refers to the sea, the wind, the currents, and the general weather conditions. This is why learning to sail can be such a rewarding experience and give you such a sense of success. Sailing’s energetic nature means that it may be an excellent workout for both you and any passengers who are willing to pitch in.

While sailing is an intense activity that can require some physical exertion, it can also be very soothing leisure. Sailboats can be a great place to entertain guests onboard, whether it’s for a light lunch or just passing the time with family and friends. Learning to sail does not have to be difficult, especially if you take a course in a sailing school and begin sailing with a small sailboat. One of the first things someone should do if he or she wants to learn to sail is to look into beginner sailing courses in their area.

When you’re sailing it’s like recharging your batteries. Of course, there are positives and negatives to everything. Sometimes, when the weather changes unexpectedly and interferes with your itinerary you will feel nervous. But, you will be able to surpass this difficulty and create something new. Other times you have to move to a different anchorage because the wind changes. Yes, this can be frustrating but it’s also like testing your limits and capabilities. Making sail changes and repairs that break at the wrong time. Another frustrating and tiring thing to do but still it can be fun!

You just have to change the way of seeing things. The weather can change unexpectedly even if the forecast said that there will be favorable conditions. Being wet for hours with wet clothes or forced to stay in one place because of rough weather conditions… Yes, all these and more will affect you and you will be stressed and probably nervous. But, with the right planning, concentration, and problem-solving skills everything is possible and can be solved in a way or another!

>>Also Read: Is Sailing a Dying Sport?

Reasons Why We Love Sailing

Sailing introduces you to the world of nature and tranquility. The sound of water running around the hull is really soothing. It’s just the change in perspective for me. You’re in a different universe even though you’re only a few hundred miles from the shore. What happens on the ground is no longer relevant. You’ve entered a parallel universe. You’re cut off from the rest of the world and its routines. On the ocean, time stretches out. And, you can’t really do something if land-based life intrudes when you are hours away from home. The speed of life simply shifts.

Sailing’s technical features can also be fascinating. They are both simple and difficult. You gain trust in your boat and confidence in yourself, and the complexity of the situation fades away. It’s for this reason that in sailing, the “journey is the destination.” It’s possible that you will not go anywhere other than sail out and sail back but for those hours, but you also may be half a world away in a remote location. So, let’s see the reasons why sailing is really fun!

Tranquility while being on the Ocean

Sailing is a wonderful way to bring peace and quiet into our hectic lives. Just listening to the simple sounds of the wind filling the sails or the water flowing past the boat can be relaxing and fulfilling. This can be the ideal antidote to the strains of contemporary life. It provides busy people with the knowledge that they may rest while still concentrate on sailing. Of course, in the beginning, it can cause frustration but once you come a bit closer to this world and set sail for your first voyage you will find peace and quiet coming from the ocean. As sailors, we tend to feel like being one with our sailboat, the sea, and the wind. Small moments become more essential as one’s perception of time shifts and expands. In other words, sailing is a relaxing, contemplative, and absorbing experience.

>>Also Read: Is Sailing Dangerous?

Gaining Technical and Self Skills

Experience, self-confidence, and learning the proper skills are all important aspects of sailing. You gain a grasp of what needs to happen in order to keep yourself, your crew, and the boat safe. Also, you’re the one that plans navigation and designs the route. All these aspects of sailing are advantageous for improving yourself. Every moment on the sea is unique, and many sailors like the challenge of reacting to and dealing with every circumstance that arises. Sailing combines arts with science in a way that allows individuals to have a better grasp of both. What’s more, you also gain a sense of success. Moreover, sailing is a great way to stay fit, not only because of the mental skills required but also because there is plenty of activity onboard.

Learning to sail provides a wonderful sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. There’s nothing quite like the sensation of becoming the skipper of your boat. Skippering a boat, whether it’s a 22-foot sailing boat or a powerboat on either the lake or on the ocean, is a huge accomplishment. Also, anyone may learn to sail as there are no age restrictions.

As soon as you get on the boat, the hectic world you’ve become accustomed to begins to disappear. The things that happen on land become minor concerns as you sail away from the shore. Everything important is right there, on the boat or immediately surrounding it, and the boat is the center of the universe. It’s not so much about where you’re sailing to as it is about the fun and challenge of the journey.

Freedom and Speed

Sailing gives you a sense of freedom as you glide across the ocean, the boat slashing through the waves as the wind fills the sails. In a race, a great breeze combined with the correct boat, trim, and technique allows you to accelerate forward and appreciate space, time, excitement, and life. In addition, the importance of controlling your sails which are only powered by the wind, and achieving speed while cruising is a unique sense of fulfillment.

When you eventually arrive at a new location, cruising sailing is frequently about the “high.” People run marathons for similar reasons. It’s the feeling of achievement. The satisfaction of doing something that most people wouldn’t do and even wouldn’t dream of. There are days when the conditions are ideal for sailing. Sailing in 15 knots, calm water, and bright sunshine. You’re really unwinding and having a good time. Those days are rare and far between, but when you go somewhere new, you can always count on that amazing sensation of success.

As you may understand you will never have the same experience no matter how many times you set sail. Every voyage provides the opportunity to visit and discover new locations. Even if you wish to go back to your favorite spot from last year, you can always change your route and sail on a different route if the weather permits.

Being One with Nature

Sailing is a unique and simple way of being in touch with nature. You acquire a tremendous amount of respect for the natural world, whether it’s collecting the wind in the sails to move you forward, feeling the currents in the sea, or understanding how the weather will affect the boat. Sailing is also incredibly environmentally friendly because you are not polluting the sky or the water with fossil fuels. This is because you are traveling in the same manner that mankind has done for thousands of years.

With sailing, you can explore numerous bays, coves, and natural areas in each destination. And, you can combine many activities with exploration. Scuba diving, kayak, and canoe are some of the activities that make no harm in the marine environment and let you explore it and understand it while also having fun!

Team Spirit and Improving Concentration

Sailing necessitates a strong, continuous, and unwavering focus. Meaning that it demands your full attention. Because the wind and water are dynamic, it’s critical to comprehend any modifications you’ll need to make, especially if you’re sailing competitively. If you’re racing, you’ll soon learn to improve techniques such as boat positioning, sail trimming, and weight distribution to increase speed. You have the option of single-hand sailing or with a crew. It can lead to some serious, thoughtful moments when you’re alone, but it strengthens the sense of team spirit and trust between you and the group.

When sailing you take on many roles. You are navigating, adjusting the rigging, cleaning, planning, cooking, and much more. This multi-tasking ability might be stressful for some people but when you get accustomed to it you will understand the benefits it gives you. Moreover, you have plenty of opportunities to talk with people and improve your communication skills. You can bring along folks you know from the sailing community. When you do, don’t just let them be passengers. Consider inviting them to participate rather than just watch. They can keep an eye out for wind gusts and help you with tasks onboard.

>>Also Read: Is Sailing an Expensive Sport to Learn?

Test your Limits

In general, sailing isn’t a sport or activity that is totally fun. It is challenging but also rewarding. Fun but also difficult. It can cause frustration but also awareness. It’s nice to accomplish something spectacular like dealing with rough weather or trying to find another anchorage because the weather changed unexpectedly. All these test your limits and are really satisfying feelings on the whole. On the North Sea and in the Atlantic, there are races. Many sailors engage in races because the personal fulfillment and camaraderie give something unique. In other words, sailing is strange. This is because there are numerous occasions when it is not enjoyable at all. But, after some minutes or hours, it gives this unique sense of achievement. In general, sailing tests your limits. Like ascending on a mountain, the road to the unknown, and finally reaching the top.

So, like everything in life, there are two sides of the same coin.

So, is Sailing Really Fun?

Regardless of whether you’re racing or just cruising, there’s a lot of planning that goes into sailing. Firstly, a boat requires regular attention and maintenance. You must purchase supplies and ensure that everything is in working order. In that setting, there’s the usual sense of accomplishment that comes when a job is accomplished. When you’re finally done with that and ready to go, you’ll be looking forward to an adventure, or at the very least the chance of one.

When all preparations are ready you leave the harbor and raise the sails. You turn off the noisy, vibrating engine, and all that remains is the sound of the wind and the crashing of the waves. At that time, you will start smiling. The boat accelerates and begins to list, bringing everything to life. It no longer feels like a clump of glass fiber or wood with lines, metal wires, and sailcloth layered on top of it, but rather like something truly living and possessing its own personality.

A sailboat may provide a laid-back experience or a more exciting and adventurous one. You’re continuously bombarded with data, ranging from waveforms and currents to winds and sail trim. Also, the feel of the rudder and helm and keeping the boat on the intended course can be challenging. All of these factors change on a regular basis, and you eventually internalize them to the point where reacting to them is no longer a conscious process. It would be difficult to respond to them otherwise, because there are literally thousands of factors at play, and going through them logically would take too long. Meaning that by the time you’ve gone through any checklist, the circumstances would have changed again.

Instead, things may simply feel or appear to be off, and you often react to such stimuli without even realizing it. You feel a powerful sense of exhilaration when you hit that sweet spot where everything simply aligns perfectly. It’s like being in a perpetual flow-state of mind. There you lose your sense of self and the boundaries between you, the boat, and the surrounding elements blur. You get a sense of being connected to something larger than oneself, notably the boat and the sea, which both have their own will. At that point, you cease questioning why sailors have anthropomorphized both boats and the water throughout history.

You have an uncontrolled sense of freedom and opportunity when you’re on the ocean. This is because you can always see what’s on the other side of the horizon. You have a strong connection to the elements and nature, but also to the rest of the world. I suppose you could say the same thing about going for a walk in the woods, but it’s not the same. Because when you’re out sailing you do realize that you can just point the bow ten degrees westwards and continue on to the other side of the Atlantic, or something similar to that. On land, that sensation of freedom simply does not exist.

In addition to all of that, you feel somewhat oxymoronically cut off from the rest of the world. The rules and responsibilities of regular life just don’t apply any longer. One example is that, because most vessels are small, you are always in contact with other people. Because being on a boat inevitably reveals the genuine essence of your shipmates, you get to know them well. It’s possible that fights break out over the most insignificant of issues, but more often than not, lifelong friendships are formed by working together to achieve a similar goal.

This is because if you sail with someone long enough, you internalize their cognitive processes as well. And, this happens to the point where you can virtually telepathically communicate with them. Like playing music or dancing with other people and feeling this sense of connection. Overall, it’s about being removed from a mundane environment, feeling fully mentally connected with something else, whether it’s the sea, the boat, or the crew. And, all these with a constant state of shared flow going on, and realizing that everything stated above can get you almost anywhere on this planet.

So, yes, depending on your perspective and how you see things in life, sailing can be fun!