I am an inexperienced sailor looking to get more hours at the helm. I live in the land locked Midwest, but have a few small lakes with good sailing communities nearby (15min and 1hr drive). I have joined area Sailing Associations, have gotten my ASA 101, bought a boat (Mod 1 CP-14.2).
I know the only way to get better at sailing is to get more hours on the water. I am trying to overcome all the excuses that pop up.
My kids are at the age they are living their best life, and I am not retired. My wife is interested in being a passenger not crew, so single handed is what I need to be comfortable doing. All that to say the time I have free to get on the water is limited. The local sailing associations are very welcoming but my schedule doesn’t line up often.
Due to my inexperience I am also limited by the weather. I have tried to push it and did not have a great experience on the water or even getting off the beach. I did learn that I have limits. Those limits are around 12-13mph winds. I am 250lbs so I need at least a little wind to get moving.
So combined, life obligations and weather windows significantly limit the opportunities I have to get on the water.
So to get more time I need to challenge these limits. Time is time, so for now I don’t have a lot of feasible options to make more of my schedule available. What I could do is challenge my weather limitations.
What advice do you have, aside from moving, to increase the weather I can sail in?
I am considering getting reefing points in my main sail and upgrading to a furled jib. This could get me the ability to sail safely in stronger wind, right?
I could upgrade to a wetsuit and colder weather gear to increase the span of air and water temperatures I can make into sailing days.
What other ideas am I missing to stretch my limits to get more time on the water?
I know the only way to get better at sailing is to get more hours on the water. I am trying to overcome all the excuses that pop up.
My kids are at the age they are living their best life, and I am not retired. My wife is interested in being a passenger not crew, so single handed is what I need to be comfortable doing. All that to say the time I have free to get on the water is limited. The local sailing associations are very welcoming but my schedule doesn’t line up often.
Due to my inexperience I am also limited by the weather. I have tried to push it and did not have a great experience on the water or even getting off the beach. I did learn that I have limits. Those limits are around 12-13mph winds. I am 250lbs so I need at least a little wind to get moving.
So combined, life obligations and weather windows significantly limit the opportunities I have to get on the water.
So to get more time I need to challenge these limits. Time is time, so for now I don’t have a lot of feasible options to make more of my schedule available. What I could do is challenge my weather limitations.
What advice do you have, aside from moving, to increase the weather I can sail in?
I am considering getting reefing points in my main sail and upgrading to a furled jib. This could get me the ability to sail safely in stronger wind, right?
I could upgrade to a wetsuit and colder weather gear to increase the span of air and water temperatures I can make into sailing days.
What other ideas am I missing to stretch my limits to get more time on the water?