Sailing: The Problem With SAILBOATS

The problems with sailboats and why they have become much less popular than powerboats. If you are learning how to sail, shopping for a sailboat or considering taking up sailing, there's several factors that make it much different than a motorboat or powerboat and those reasons are why sailing and sailboats have lost popularity over the years to powerboats. Sailing isn't for everyone and although sailboats can often be found more cheaply than a powerboat, sailboats are more labor intensive to operate and there is a steep learning curve.

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00:00 Introduction
01:49 Learning how to sail is hard - it's a steep learning curve
03:48 You can't sail a boat when there's no wind
04:42 It is harder to solo sail a boat than it is to operate a powerboat by yourself
05:29 Sailboats are slow
06:55 Dealing with the sails and rigging before and after a sailboat ride

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#sailboats #sailboat #sailing

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[manning]

I am a professional USCG Licensed 200GT Master of Power and Auxiliary Sailing Vessels. I drove large commercial working vessels for thirty years and now operate a small sunset charter sailing business in my semi retired seagoing life. before all that I served as a Quartermaster in the US Navy for twenty years. Speaking only for the "pleasure boater/sailor" Hands down the sailboat sailor normally is a much more capable, learned, respectful and safety minded boat operator. Wayne you said it yourself, You can get into your powerboat turn the key and off you go with little to no training. And that mentality in many pleasure power boaters shows. For most new sailors on a sailboat that just does not happen. A novice sailor is introduced to sailing and taught by a licensed instructor at a club, community sailing organization or friend. For those of us that love sailing it's for all the reasons you stated are the problems with sailing. We know our boats better because we love working on them and have a DIY mentality. We watch the weather closely and get excited when we have a perfect weather window for a fine sailing day. We pay close attention to our navigation because most sailboats have deep keels (Draft) and we don't want to run aground. Sailors plan a voyage in advance paying close attention to navigation, weather, local laws and Navigation rules in the areas we sail. Seven knots is a really big deal for sailors. That's really fast. I like to say to my passengers " Power Boat people are always going someplace in their boats. Fishing, water sports, dinner or maybe to a beach. But sailboat people we were where we wanted to be the moment we stepped on our sailboat". I drove big powerful motor vessels for a living. But I always went sailing for the love of sailing and the sea.

[Medevicerep]

Going sailing for a day by myself makes me more relaxed than most people get from spending a day at a spa. The sun, wind, waves and quiet are pure bliss. Starting the engine depresses me.

[beesbythesea]

I bought a sailboat at 62 thinking I needed to learn something new heading into retirement. I took a sailing course at a local community college and found I love the challenge of learning to become more proficient. There is also something magical about the feeling of the wind moving you to your destination that is hard to describe to non sailors. It never becomes boring because there is always something new to learn. Just sorry I got started so late.

[jamesgraham]

I've been sailing since my early years.. I went on to become a professional yacht skipper, initially carrying out delivery work for owners and boatyards, both sail and power boats, then moving on to being a full-time skipper aboard the mega million $$$$ super yachts based in the world's exotic playgrounds... I state this just to make it clear that I'm reasonably qualified to comment.
I've owned numerous boats of all types.
To sail, you have to have a passion for sailing.. that means a passion for the peace and tranquility of sailing, and an appreciation of the skills required. If someone asks me where I'm going, I generally say.. 'I'm going sailing, I don't necessarily have to have a destination.. I'm going sailing. With a power boat, I'm generally heading somewhere, a destination. Under the right circumstances, and in no hurry, this can also be a tranquil experience, but more often than not, it more resembles a commando exercise, all noise and drama.
It's up to the individual. Motor boaters generally stay close to home.. sailors are more in search of new horizons and adventure.
Motor boats tend to be bought as a luxury.. sailing boats more as a passion.

[martin]

Thank you. A reason that sailors are not too keen on motor boaters is that they don't seem to love the sea but use it as a medium to blast through, create noise and wake that others have to deal with. Jet skiers are the worst but speed boats and larger motorboats in my area constantly break speed limits. I do, however, have a number of motorboat friends who captain their boats responsibly and with polite regard to other water users. (From UK)

[windfall]

I’ve been sailing for almost 70 years…and have owned 6 sailboats…I think being on the water (whether sail or power) is a good thing and as I age out I’ll likely have to look at some form of power boat so that I can continue my journey. What I have always appreciated about sailing (like skiing) is that when I’m sailing, my mind is occupied with the dozen factors needed to make a 10 ton vessel move effectively against the wind…and in that preoccupation comes respite from the tensions and demands of life…Just steering under power allows my mind to drift back to what’s sitting on my work desk…After 2 or 3 days sailing, I suddenly remember and recall that I have mundane responsibilities at work or home…

[lordpencil]

I have been sailing since I was about 6 years old, but I also have a lot of experience in powerboats. My thing is, is that powerboats are there to get you from point A to point B and I will admit there is something awesome about doing 30kts over a glass sea, but when it comes to actually enjoying and respecting the ocean, sailing is far, far better, kinda like the old adage of "its not the destination but the journey".

[PeterSimmonds-zi]

I sailed for many years with my family and the one thing you missed out is that blessed moment when you switch off that noisy engine and are just sailing and the only sound is the wind in the sails and the lapping water. Sail boat owner for over 60 years, power boat owner for 2. Need I say more!

[wesg]

Let me fix your title: "Why doing almost anything is much less popular than sitting on the couch and watching TV". Top 5: 1 If I do something I might have to learn something new, that sounds hard. 2 The weather might not be right. The weather never changes in my living room. 3 Doing things sometimes requires other people. I can watch TV alone. 4 Doing things takes a lot of time. 5. Doing things is just a lot of work. Joking aside your list of bugs are actually features. Good hobbies challenge us. Driving a boat around on it's own is fun but can get boring. That is why a lot of long time boaters will fish, waterski, or turn to sailing to provide that extra challenge and fun on the water. So as you say it's not for everyone, but that is true for pretty much everything except sitting on the couch.

[gus]

I couldn't operate a 24 ft sailboat with jibs and spinnicars and all that, but when I was 14 my family stayed at a cabin on a lake in Wisconsin for several weeks. The cabin came with an 8ft sailboat with 1 sail, 1rope and an anchor made of a paint can filled with cement It took me less than a week to master that boat

[oaklandmax]

As a sailor, there is nothing better than turning off the engine and having the boat make way under wind. That said, bombing along in a powerboat has its appeal too.

A sailor can also pilot a powerboat, but a non-sailor powerboater can’t pilot a sailboat.

Lastly my sailboat has an engine, and it took me a while to not think of using it as a necessary evil, but as I get more experience I realize both how little I need it, and how much I appreciate it when I do.

[squallyheiferadventures]

As a power boat and a sailboat owner there is a purpose for each. When I am alone I pick the sailboat every time. There is nothing better than gliding through the water with wind alone.

[jamess]

Real Sailors drive Sailboats and boaters drive power boats. You really have to have the passion to be a Sailboat driver and the folks I know who own a sailboat love everything that most of us would view as a hassle or work. They just love the journey and the challenges associated with Sail boating. I'll stick with my 21' power boat which is easy to drive with minimal hassle. Owning a Sailboat requires a certain temperament that I know I don't have. Good video Wayne, thanks for posting.

[davidalexander-watts]

Thinking about it some more, you could have easily titled this video "Why sailboats are better than motorboats" and kept pretty much the same content - just with a different perspective: 1. it's a great way of learning new skills, 2. it teaches you to really think about the weather (but there's still an engine if you need it), 3. solo sailing is a good test of boatmanship, 4. its about the journey not the destination, 5. take pride in looking after your beautiful boat.

[SailingBucketList]

Just an observation, my experience has been that for every photo or painting of a motor boat, there are ten or twenty or more photos or paintings of sailboats. They are just beautiful out on the water.

[normandriscoll]

As a retired sailor, I can say: A sailboat is not a place to get some where, it's a place to be.

[douglashill]

A small cruising sailboat like the one you are on appears somewhat daunting due to the plethora and seeming complexity of lines. The principles of sailing are relatively simple, running, reaching and beating close hauled to weather. The best way to learn the principles of sailing is in a small sailing dingy; the rest is just more of the same on a larger scale. You can learn the nomenclature in an afternoon. Don't over complicate it. You can learn the basics in short order, and then spend the rest of your life refing those skills.

[josephgadoury]

Sailing is magic, to move forward limitless without an engine, noises or fuel is pretty amazing. For me that magic never fades, I'm always amazed. Sure they are slow but if you need to go somewhere fast and loudly, take a car or a plane!

[Nicoantonio]

I’ve taught myself to sail on a 27ft hunter Cherubini I moved into full time. YouTube is a great resource sailing really isn’t that hard. You just need patience for good conditions relative to your locations and patience with yourself. Don’t let fear stop you because anyone can learn. You just need to apply yourself a bit more.

[vgrof]

I love sailing. Have been sailing all my adult life. I have crossed the Pacific Ocean 3 times, once solo, in a cruising sailboat. What's the rush?

As a sailor, you can have a schedule or you can have a destination, but you can't have both.

Keeps me young, even at 80.

Can't sail without wind, but the weather doesn't have to be JUST right. Have to be adaptable and know how to deal with a wide range of conditions safely.