10 great reasons to sail
Sailing can be everything you need – a vacation in one unforgettable and adventurous experience. And for some, sailing is an irresistible urge to explore the unknown and all the excitement it can offer. However, in addition to satisfying your wanderlust, sailing also offers many perks for your well-being.
Following are 10 reasons why you too should start sailing this summer and embark on this amazing adventure.
1. Learn something new – because sailing is a continuous lesson. You`ll need to learn new stuff like navigation, meteorology, ship and sail handling. It requires craftsmanship because you`re the one that will need do to fix the electricity, plumbing and other problems that might show up while sailing. Also, you will learn a totally new language, with words like “fathom”, “abeam”, “keel” and “jibe”, and you get to call yourself a sea dog, and shout “all aboard” every once in a while. How cool is that?
2. Age is not a factor – Anyone can learn to sail, whether is a 10-year-old child, or retiree looking for adventure. And it doesn`t have an age limit when to stop sailing, you never have to. There are many people who have sailed well into their 70s or beyond, revealing the secrets of sailing to their grandchildren, and teaching them the basics while on board.
3. Health benefits – Sailing is a physically demanding sport. All that ducking, hoisting and sail trimming will activate every muscle in your body. And even when you`re just sitting at anchor your body will work hard to keep you on your feet while the boat is rocking. Because of the large amount of oxygen absorption that happens when you engage in intense activities sailing can improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the risks of obesity, hypertension and other heart diseases.
4. Mental challenges – Sailing is the utmost “man vs. nature” sport, and a good sailor isn`t always the strongest or the fastest one, but the smartest one. It`s an ongoing mental game, where you need to constantly make decisions to safely maneuver the boat, and harness the power of nature to your advantage.
5. Mental wellness – Sea air is full of negative ions that aid in the body’s oxygen absorption, and also help balance the body’s levels of serotonin – the happy chemical – hence we tend to be in a better mood. Furthermore, blue is a color that is essentially soothing, that stimulates clear thoughts, calms the mind and helps to concentrate.
6. Togetherness or solitude – The African proverb says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”. And that`s what`s great about sailing. If you`re an extroverted person, sailing can be an opportunity to hang around people, whether is your friends, your partner, or the family. Working together to make the boat sail better, also means working together on your relationships, and tightening the family/friendship bonds. However, if you`re an introvert, sailing can give you the solitude you`re longing for. It can be just you, surrounded by pristine water and a blue sky, without any other noise but the wind and the waves.
7. Countless destinations – When was the last time you visited 10 different places in 10 days on your holiday? You don`t have to go to the same beach every day, packing and unpacking your beach bags. While you can visit different destinations, your bag remains very much onboard. Go to that famous beach everyone is talking about, take a couple of pictures for your Instagram, then weigh the anchor and find some hidden paradise where you can relax in private.
8. Discipline and organization skills – Sailing can be quite demanding and time-consuming, so sailors learn to prioritize the time they have, build better organization skills and stick to schedules. All these essential skills will affect your life, which will boost your motivation to eat healthier, exercise more and increase the quality of life.
9. Freedom and adventure. We`ve put them last on our list, but these two are the first things that come to our mind when someone mentions sailing.
10. Adventure – Sailing is an ongoing adventure, where you have to face new challenges with curiosity and boldness. It`s about taking risks, exploring new islands, discovering unknown bays. No matter how near or far you go, you never know where the wind and tide may take you. There is always something unknown ahead of you – an adventure that awaits for you.
Freedom – Freedom is a state of mind. Whether you`re longing for a peaceful, relaxed getaway, with a drink in your hand and the sun on your face or you`re an adrenaline junkie breaking speed limits, you can lose all of your chains when sailing. You can forget your daily routines, you can even forget what day it is, away from the city rush, with no cell phone reception, no Wi-Fi, just let your mind wander in the peace that only the sea can bring.
“All of us have in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea whether it is to sail or to watch it we are going back from whence we came.”
– John F. Kennedy
