I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Discover Boating. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.
I remember the two days well…
Hubby took me down to the dock to see his dream boat. It was a 25′ O’Day sailboat in robin’s egg blue, that slept 5 (Mr. S is 6’2″ – so it really slept 4). It was a simple boat, with a main sail and jib, and made before automatic winches….allowing Mr. S to bark orders as if he were REALLY a captain. With an outboard motor to get in and out of the channel, we would head out to Newport or one of the smaller islands (Prudence or Patience) that dotted the Rhode Island coast all summer long.
The day we went from sail to power I was disappointed. I loved the quiet of cutting through the ocean, heeling up high with a certain fear, and racing in the regattas that happened all summer long. Then again, the open Four Winns was quick and something that I could handle by myself (or with a group of landlubber girl friends).
Thankfully Mr. S grew up on the water and had been sailing since he was young. Ben and I learned how to sail at the same time…me at 33 and Ben at 4 years old.
Today, things would be a LOT different.
- First of all, we’d want a larger boat.
- Secondly, we probably wouldn’t have the cash available like we did the first time, and would need to figure out JUST how much boat we could both afford and handle.
- Third, we now live in Florida and when we lived in RI we were in walking distance to the water, we now have to DRIVE to get to a marina. Where would we put it and do we rent a slip, trailer, or anchor?
- Fourth, it’s been over 15 years since we’ve owned a boat, so we’re both a little rusty. We need a boating education!
Thankfully, I am an ambassador for Discover Boating, which has all of the answers that I’d need. Whether you’re a newbie, or an experienced sailor like Mr. S, there’s always something to learn.
Luckily Discover Boating has tools, videos and more
- Boat Selector Tool
- Testing the Waters
- Wonderful Stories of Discovery – including one with Jake Owen (yes, THAT Jake Owen)
Did you know?
Seventy-one percent of U.S. boat owners have an annual household income less than $100,000 and 95 percent of boats in the U.S. are less than 26 feet—small boats taken by trailer to local bodies of water.nd guides including:
ENTER TO WIN
The Discover Boating Facebook Contest at: Facebook.com/discoverboating
Simply submit your best Independence Day boating photos for their Facebook photo contest running mid-June through early July.
For more details about how YOU can Discover Boating like I did:
- Go to: DiscoverBoating.com
- Twitter: @discoverboating
- Facebook: DiscoverBoating
- Instagram: DiscoverBoating
- Pinterest: DiscoverBoating
Lisa from Life with Lisa says
OMG what awesome photos Zip…look at you and Ben! Thanks for sharing!
Boat Stop Storage says
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