September 17, 2005
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At Anchorage
Every now and then I just have to vent about the ridiculous fallacies that people create about sailing. So, since I’m living in a land-locked town where ranting and raving about sailing myths with coworkers is like complaining about dust storms to someone from Minnesota, I choose to vent here.
1) Sailing? It’s expensive! It can be expensive, but it’s not nearly as expensive as Matt’s flying lessons. And my sailboat isn’t nearly as expensive as a plane, in terms of initial purchase cost and maintenance costs.
2) But you can’t sail if you’re not on the coast. It’s true that you can’t sail in a $60,000 sailboat if you’re not near a significantly large body of water, but I wouldn’t want to sail a $60,000 sailboat, anyway. Two former sailing club members once won an award for proving that one can sail in a flooded cornfield.
3) Sailing is hard. Yeah? Sailing a $60,000 boat by yourself is hard, and I admire those guys who solo sail these ships from port to port because the people who bought them don’t know how to sail them by themselves. I’ve never understood why people make their lives so complicated by purchasing things they don’t know how to operate.
Plenty of people find ways to make their sailing economical. One way is to not be a part of a “yacht club,” as the following authoress suggests.
“. . . Sometimes when returning to Safari–loaded with two bikes, groceries and a newly filled propane tank-we probably look like the Beverly Hillbillies on their first trip to California. But our trusty dinghy gets us around. Even if we could afford to be at marinas all the time, we wouldn’t want to be. Life in the anchorage is rich and rewarding and much more interesting. Now that you know a little about what we’re doing as cruising sailors, the next time you’re in a waterfront town see if you can spot one of us. We’re the ones wearing the boat shoes that have seen better days, hats with saltwater stains, and we’re probably carrying an old knapsack. (And if we’re carrying a lot of groceries, you might consider giving us a lift back to the dock.) We’re there for as long as we want to be-as long as that town holds our interest. We may be alone or possibly traveling with a group of other boats. Whatever we want, it’s our decision and in this cruising culture, we have the luxury of time and the freedom to enjoy it. . . .”
At this site, she also lists Cruiser-Friendly Towns on the East Coast.
Cruiser-Friendly Towns on the East Coast
In our travels we’ve discovered that certain towns value the cruising sailor and even go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Here is a list of towns and cities that put out the welcome mat and encourage a visit. (As we have not yet had the opportunity to stop in every waterfront town and are sure there were some great towns we missed, this list is by no means complete.)
Fernandina, Florida - Here are helpful friendly people in a wonderful old small town.
Beaufort, South Carolina - Beautiful, historic town, this is one of the nicest places to walk around on the coast. There is a courtesy car if you stay at the marina.
Charleston, South Carolina - This is a fascinating harbor of so many rivers all meeting together, incredible shore-side homes and vessels of every imaginable kind sharing the waters.
Georgetown, South Carolina - This very friendly town sees that a complete welcome package including a listing of all the town’s services is brought out to your boat at anchor.
Beaufort, North Carolina - These guys really want you there. The town’s maritime museum makes a truck available for a 2-hour period to any cruising sailor. It also has a wonderful nautical library.
Elizabeth City, North Carolina - The “Rose Buddies” welcome every woman to town with a fresh-cut rose and for every night that there are 5 boats or more new to the dock, they put on a wine-and-cheese party. To top this off, free dockage for your boat-not just your dinghy-is provided.
Hampton, Virginia - Ian, the dockmaster of the Hampton public piers, is one of the nicest, friendliest, most helpful guys you will find on the coast. He’ll go out of his way to help you whether you’re out in the anchorage or paying to stay at his docks.
Annapolis, Maryland - There is dinghy access at the end of every waterfront street in Annapolis, a great place to spend a few weeks and check out the back creeks.
Newport, Rhode Island - Here you’ll feel the history of the America’s Cup and enjoy some of the most spectacular mansions in the world-a very cruiser-friendly town.
All of Maine - Virtually every town has a free dinghy dock and many have temporary free tie-up for your boat, as well as free water-a wonderful place to cruise.
