I was born and raised in Phoenix, the center of Arizona’s “Valley of the Sun.”
How did a desert rat like myself end up becoming a San Diego sailing fanatic?
Roll back the clock to summer 2017. A long-time friend invited me to join him for a weekend sail. He and his wife are members of the Harbor Sailboats sailing club on Harbor Island.
We spent two nights on a 36 foot boat, my very first time on a boat that big. We anchored one night in Glorietta Bay and one night in Mission Bay. We had such a great time that we decided to make it an annual event.
The next year we chartered a larger boat and had another great weekend. After this second weekend, I was hooked!
At that point I decided to take lessons so that I could learn to sail myself. After I passed my first class, I started traveling to San Diego on a regular basis so that I could practice.
Before long I started looking at the expenses of all those trips, and I decided to take my commitment to the next level. In addition to taking several additional classes to increase my proficiency, I decided to invest in a used 34 foot sloop. I named my boat Kayleigh, which is old Celtic for "celebration of life."
Working with Harbor Sailboats, I was able to put my boat in their charter fleet. They maintain it for me, and I can reserve it for my own use whenever I want. This allows me to regularly enjoy my outings to San Diego with very little travel expense.
Sailing is a terrific sport and once I made the decision to jump in with both feet, I've never looked back. I've made some wonderful friends and have many great memories, and have barely scratched the surface of what I hope lies ahead!
Here are the top three reasons that I love to sail:
- Health — Being on the water brings me a sense of serenity. I never cease to be amazed by such sights as whales, dolphins and the other sea life. This, in turn, brings out a sense of thankfulness in me that I believe is key to keeping a positive outlook on life. And a positive outlook is healthy!
- Friendship — My world has been made better through the great people I’ve met and sailed with. From instructors, staff, and fellow sailors, the journey has been amazing and I'm constantly expanding my circle of sailing friends.
- Adventure — For me, sailing was a bit of a personal challenge and a stretch. Honestly, I was a bit afraid of it, never having spent much time on the water. By facing those misgivings, both my confidence and enjoyment have increased tremendously. Now I can’t wait for my next adventure!
So what’s on the horizon for me? In addition to taking more classes, I'm hoping to earn my commercial captain's license. I'm also hoping to get involved in some racing.
How about for you?
If you've never tried it, give it a shot! I think you'll be glad you did. There are many great clubs, charters and really friendly people with boats that would be happy to give you a taste of the amazing experience of being on the water.
-Marv
...
Our mission at 10-POINT-O Inc. is Connecting Lifestyle & Home™. Our executive team has a true passion and love of sailing and outdoor adventuring, contact us if you are interested in joining one of our sailing adventures!
