Sailing is better than dreaming any day! I dreamed for years and then bought my
boat. Don't get to sail nearly enough due to work and NO WIND, but what I do I
enjoy. This is a great group who will be interested in your adventures, and you
will enjoy theirs, from the great Minnesota lakes, Lake Tahoe, Calif, Fla and
even across the pond in Merry England. Can't make it to New Hampshire for a
sail, but expect to be sailing here in the mountains of Virginia until
mid-December if there is any wind on a day I can get off from work or if it
blows on a weekend.
Ted Duke
WWP19 #626
Krumpe, Andrew wrote:
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> West Wight Potter Website at URL
> http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
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> Hi to everyone!
> I don't really know why I'm writing this, but perhaps it's just to reach
> out and try and make some friends. For most of my life I've wanted to
> sail the world. When I was younger, I read "Dove" and wanted to take off
> as a teenager (with no sailing experience). As I got older I read all
> the magazines, looked at all the boats, dreamed of life aboard and
> faraway islands. My wife and I started seriously dreaming of and
> planning to buy a sailboat (28 to 40 foot range) and take off forever.
> We slowly realized that we would have to save for about 5 to 10 years
> before we could afford a boat like that. She bought me the book, "Frugal
> Yachting" and we decided that we could sail more and spend less if we
> scaled down our plans.
> One thing followed another, and we bought a used Potter 19 last month.
> I'm 39, and I finally have a boat! I'm a sailor! We've bareboated in the
> BVI, but sailing one's own boat is so much more satisfying. I can't
> explain why. Maybe it's because each lesson you learn remains with you
> and your boat. I've had the Potter out in light airs and conditions that
> required us to reef the main and roller furling genoa, and first of all,
> I'm impressed with the performance, but more importantly, what I've
> learned about how she sails will be with me the next time I take her
> out. All the lessons of life, the events that lend themselves to sailing
> metaphors are now part of my life. And my dreams of taking off forever,
> while not very practical in the Potter, might also be scaled down to
> taking off to the Isles of Shoals, or downeast for a week.
> Besides the pleasure of owning a sailboat, I look forward to meeting
> other sailors, whether they be old salts who can teach me a few things,
> traditionalists and purists like myself who want to sail by the stars,
> or racers who've spent lots of time learning to get every knot out of
> their boats. I live outside of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and hope that
> anyone from that area who would like to get together for a sail will
> contact me. I'm hardcore when it comes to the question, "Can you really
> sail your boat in November?" But if you're done sailing for the year and
> are planning next summer's cruise in these parts, give me a call, or an
> email. My wife and I are eager to sail. Thanks.
>
> Andrew C. Krumpe
> 603-430-6167 work
> 603-659-4101 home
> andrew.krumpe@neslabinstruments.com