No, Sailing Is Not Hard. However, your attitude about sailing reflects your attitude toward life. Some people will make mistakes and then abandon their efforts. Others will continue to try. As it turns out, life on the water is a huge challenge. You can’t run because there’s nowhere else to go; you’re compelled to work as part of a team, even if you’d prefer to work alone at times; you can’t hide from your failures; and, perhaps most challenging of all, you’ll have to face some unpleasant facts about yourself. So, in this article, we will examine if sailing is hard from different points of view. Keep reading!

Your Personality in Sailing

Self-Confidence

Are you the type that waits for others to take care of the risky situations so you don’t make a mistake? Or do you just jump in with both feet wherever you’re needed? And, if even you have no idea what you’re doing? Do you have the ability to problem-solve on your own or do you need to be told what to do? Accepting to live on a boat is essentially accepting the unknown. You’ve given up your one-bedroom apartment and your pretty little compact automobile in exchange for the possibility of adventure!

It can be nerve-wracking when you’re approaching a dock and need to turn the fenders from starboard to port. And also when getting the lines ready to tie off. Or, when you’re tacking and there’s slack in the jib and you have to pull it taught. But things happen in life, and you can’t always predict how you’ll react. So, take a deep breath, concentrate on what you have to do, and don’t panic!

Accomplishments in Life

It’s often difficult to see how far you’ve come in life while you’re in the middle of things. It might be graduating from college, paying off a mortgage, or abandoning the city to pursue your travel aspirations. In order to reach the objectives we’ve set for ourselves takes guts and a lot of hard work. And for whatever reason — whether it’s for our self-fulfillment or because we’re already on to the next objective — we prefer to minimize our achievements. Sailing, on the other hand, entails thought, effort, and freedom. It’s an opportunity to take a step forward, reflect, and appreciate what it took to bring you to this point. And to be proud of each and every one of them.

Technology and Modern Life

Okay, so maybe you’re not one of those individuals who go out and spend the entire time texting instead of meeting up with pals. But, I’ll bet the first thing you did this morning was pick up your phone. It’s something I do as well. As a matter of fact, technology is a necessary evil. This is because it has gotten us this far, but it has also deteriorated essential skills. The beauty of being on a boat is that it serves as a sort of computer detox. It allows you and your brain to reconnect with nature. Your fingers may be yearning to check emails for the first few days. But, after a week on the boat, you will appreciate the beauty of Mother Nature rather than scrolling through Instagram.

However, technology is also important while being onboard. Navigation systems, weather apps, or even if you’re working from home; we have technology rooted in our lives. So, deliberately we carry it along while sailing. It’s not bad, it’s just that we have to use these means when we have to. And, most importantly, not to get stuck on them.

What you Gain from Sailing

When yanking sails, pulling ropes, and moving across the deck you gain muscle strength. With some of your rope pulls weighing over 50-100 pounds and some anchors weighing over two tons, using your entire body to manage the boat will put the most strain on your core, arms, shoulders, and back. You’ll have an anchoring tool to help you out. But, there will be plenty of other things to lift on the deck as well.

Sailing can be extremely relaxing. With the repercussions of stress including headaches, sadness, anxiety, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, and many other concerns, don’t you think a day at the beach or just relaxing onboard would be beneficial to your soul?

The salty air will make you joyful because it is full of ions that help our bodies absorb more oxygen and feel better. Your serotonin levels rise significantly after some days in the sea. Moreover, you’re working as a team and when sailing, so improving communication is essential. This might be a great way to form new friendships and work together for a similar objective. Also, sailing will help you improve your spatial awareness in the same manner that driving does. The more you practice, the more accurately you will be able to explore the world.

In addition, sailing is a one-of-a-kind and simple way to connect with nature. Whether it’s letting the wind in the sails propelling you ahead, experiencing the currents in the sea, or understanding how the weather will affect the boat, you reach the point of totally respecting the natural world. Sailing is also extremely environmentally friendly because no fossil fuels are used to pollute the sky or the water. This is due to the fact that you are traveling in the same way that humanity has for thousands of years.

How Hard is Sailing? Or Is It Easy?

When it comes to learning to sail, the amount of difficulty is ultimately determined by how much time and effort you are ready to devote to studying and practicing. It takes a lot of practice, just like anything else in life, to feel secure in any activity before you feel like you’ve got the hang of it. One of the most challenging aspects of learning to sail is remembering a large number of nautical phrases. To be honest, I think some of the guys who came up with some of the most used sailing lingoes were aiming to confuse newbies.

In any case, this is one of the things you’ll have to conquer, but you can do it. For some people, understanding and performing the man overboard method is another tough component of learning to sail. It can take you several tries when you first start learning to sail before you could even come close to completing it effectively. If someone falls overboard and needs to be rescued right away, knowing how to perform the man overboard technique is critical. The most difficult aspects of learning to sail, in my opinion, are the safety measures because not knowing how to execute them effectively has the most detrimental consequence.

One that some people may find challenging to master is how to appropriately call for assistance in an emergency. Knowing how to use signal flares, sound signals, lights, a VHF radio, or a PLB is essential. Another aspect of learning to sail that looks to be tough is determining how to plan a course while taking into account forecasted weather conditions. While it’s reasonably predictable when the tides change, it’s less so when the winds change. This problem stems from uncertainty, and you can solve it with effective planning, focus, and awareness of the current circumstance.

While learning to sail as an expert will generally be challenging, there are several aspects that most people can quickly and easily understand. Learning how to properly tack and jibe a sailboat, for example, is a necessary skill for every crew member and can be learned in a day. Trust me when I say that once you understand how to tack and jibe, you will feel better. How to trim a sail is another relatively simple component of learning to sail. Trimming a sail entails reducing the sail’s exposed surface area to the wind, resulting in a loss of power. As you might expect, this is a crucial ability to have when sailing when the winds start to blow.

Being able to catch the wind on the mainsail and jib exactly perfectly is one of the skills associated with sailing. Catching the wind in your sails is simple. But, it can be difficult to avoid criticism from a sailing instructor when examining your point of sail and the amount of luffing involved. In principle, catching the wind is simple, but doing it just right is an art. To be honest, there’s no limit to how much you can learn when managing a sailboat. This is because an unlimited variety of circumstances might arise over time. When something goes wrong, this is usually the most challenging element of learning to sail. But, being able to respond calmly and sensibly will be your greatest benefit.

How Long Does it Take to Learn to Sail?

One of the more challenging aspects of learning to sail is the length of time it can take for certain people. It can take anywhere from a few days to a number of months. It totally depends on where you reside and how much time you have. However, it takes longer to learn how to sail properly. But, learning the basics so you can be an efficient crew member of a small sailboat shouldn’t take too long.

The length of time it takes to learn to sail is also determined by the level of difficulty of the environment in which you wish to sail. When comparing dinghy sailing on a remote lake to sailing a blue water vessel across the Atlantic, the degree of hardship is vastly different. One can do it in an afternoon, while the other can achieve it in years’ time. If you want to learn to sail, getting a sailing certificate from a sailing organization is the first step to take. You can earn an international sailing certificate with a moderate level of difficulty in as little as 10 full days of theoretical and practical sailing.

Everyone’s schedule is different, so if you’re thinking of learning to sail, you’ll need to prepare ahead. The amount of time it takes to learn to sail will be influenced by your schedule. With this in mind, you’ll need to choose what works best for you. And, also how to learn to sail in a reasonable length of time. If you’re truly eager to learn to sail, taking two weeks or even just ten days to do it might be enough. The amount of time you spend immersed in sailing on a regular basis is highly important. This is because it will provide you a significant advantage in terms of the volume and quality of knowledge you will gain.

If you want to accomplish it all at once, I recommend taking a sailing vacation someplace in the world. It will undoubtedly give you a new perspective on life. And, it will also help to frame your sailing experience in a positive light. It will also encourage you to step outside of your comfort zone. Because it puts you in a new environment with new people, which may be motivating when learning new skills. Given this, not everyone has the luxury of accomplishing everything at once. If taking so much time off to focus on sailing alone is challenging, being able to spread it out across time is crucial.

Do you Need a Sailing Certification?

I mentioned that you can earn a sailing certificate in a few weeks. This will make it easier for you to charter a sailboat and begin practicing. While a sailing certification isn’t necessary to learn to sail properly, it will put you on the right route. When it comes to the many sailing organizations, the length of time it takes to learn how to sail is determined by the level of competence you want to achieve. Do you want to be a crew member or do you want to be a skipper? Do you want to stay near the coast or do you want to go on offshore voyages?

It won’t take you more than a week to become a helpful crew member on a sailboat. However, if you want to become a captain it will take you some more days. During those periods, you’ll learn everything there is to know about sailing. But, when beginning on a seabound or oceanic trip, how long does it take to learn to sail? That’s a very different pace than coastal sailing. And, certifications will require many nautical miles of sailing in a short period of time, as well as several months of schooling.

Bear in mind that if you want to earn a sailing certification, you should look into the most well-known sailing organizations in the world. These are IYT, RYA, ASA, and US Sailing. They all provide first-rate sailing instruction as well as internationally recognized sailing certifications.

Do you Have to be Fit in order to Sail?

Operating a sailboat safely can be difficult, but it all depends on the situation and what most people consider difficult. I assume being a crew member on a sailboat in the Volvo Ocean Race is really physically demanding. But, the limits of your body may not be an issue if you’re heading out on a short day voyage with 8-10 knots of wind.

When it comes to the physical demands of sailing, there are a few things to keep in mind that necessitate some physical effort. For one thing, changing out a sail because the one that’s up is broken needs a considerable amount of muscular stamina. You’ll also need to carry a potentially big weight if you need to swap out your anchor. And, especially since the one you’re using won’t operate well enough for the current sea bottom.

If you intend to go sailing alone, or single-handed sailing, make sure you are capable of doing these activities on your own. But, it’s advisable to have someone with you for your first voyages especially if you’re a beginner. Most adults should be able to withstand the physical demands of sailing in either case.

Summary – Is Sailing Hard?

Learning to sail is both simple and tough at the same time. It’s a bit of both. So you’ll have to get past the mindset that it’s either one or the other. Sailing basics are simple to grasp. On your first day out in a sailboat, you can master the fundamental movements and tactics. There are numerous stories of people sailing a boat as young as 12 or 13 years old! This example demonstrates that learning to sail is not difficult. In other words, sailing as a recreational activity isn’t hard, nor as a sport. As with everything, the hard part is to learn to sail properly and safely. Then everything happens on its own, you get used to sailing and to your sailboat.

However, there is always a risk, and sailing with an experienced crew to guide and support you will always be substantially safer. Even if you’re an expert, sailing alone might be challenging because if you fall overboard and have an accident, no one will be able to save you or save your life.

Another way to think about the amount of difficulty of sailing is to compare it to driving a car. You can learn to drive in approximately 30 minutes to an hour if you know what movement generates what reaction and how each pedal functions. However, you could spend the rest of your life gaining experience and becoming a better driver, or in our case, a better sailor!