How Much Time Spent Sailing

[Phil M]

My 26M spends most of its life sitting on the hard on a trailer, so marine grade plywood for my sailboat projects seems a little overkill.

Forgive me but making improvements at all to a vessel that spends most of its time on a trailer seems like overkill... and a cryin' shame.

That's mean. Sorry.

Out of the 52 weeks in a year, probablly less than 6 weeks are actually spent on the water. It is what it is for me. How much time do others spend on their Macs?

Phil M

[mastreb]

We've had our boat for about 100 days, and of that we've spent about 20 days on the water.

[rwmiller56]

I keep my in mast-up dry storage on the trailer from end of Nov until about March or April. I use that time to work on the engine, and other projects. The boat is slipped the rest of the year. Out of the 8 months the boat is in the slip, I'd say we get out about 3 times per month, on average, plus a 1 week vacation on the boat. So, 31 days out of the year.

I'd LOVE to get out more, but there is one thing that gets in the way, and it is a 4 letter word called WORK. If not for that, I'd probably be out almost every day

Roger

[Trouts Dream]

I spend at least 2 weeks vacationing on it, a floating winnebago.
in addition we do 5-6 dinner cruises (sail, anchor and cook/eat, sail/motor home) with guests in June and August.

Maybe 14 days sleep aboard and 10-15 day sails.....close to 30 days.

[Ixneigh]

My boat spends most of it's time in the water. And I spend much of my free time boating. I have been actually sailing it about once or twice a week. I bought the boat to cruise in a very specific way and don't mind making improvements. At this point I plan to keep the boat a long while and it may be my last. Anything I do on it will be with an eye to function under sail and longevity. I feel anything worth doing is worth doing with good materials. I would not use any wood marine or otherwise on the outside of this boat or for anything structural. It's foamcored or it won't be made. Inside you do not need to use marine plywood. Saturate it with epoxy and paint it. This is fine for things like shelving and cabinetry.
I use my boat enough to make improvements because of specific issues. Like the factory reefing set up. Fine for lakes where you might never reef. Horrible for me. The sail is reefed often as not.

Ixneigh

[NiceAft]

Phil,

Take a look at where the respondents live. The one who is on the boat the least is from way up north, just like you.

Nice Aft will be at its slip from May 26th to Oct. 31st. During that time, we will be out on average once or twice a week. Most of those times will be for sunset cruises that last about two hours, and then, out to dinner. I try to go out once a week for a few hours by myself. We do trailer the boat to the Adirondacks for two weeks, and there we are getting the most use.

My point is this, it's not the quantity of time on the boat which matters, but rather the quality of time. As to spending great amounts of time using your boat, this falls under the ' Three S. W. Rule". SOME WILL, SOME WON'T, SO WHAT

Ray

[Highlander]

when my boat is slipped I live on board three or four days a week , but this yr I have so much crap to do at home & we have had such pitiful weather so far this yr I have not even pulled my boat outa my shop !!. when I'm home its always raining being as such my fricking grass is about 18" high

J

[Berber Boy]

For Me it is two times 2 week vacations a year plus the occasional overnighter in between the vacations. I live at least an hour from the nearest water and with setup and recovery time day sailing is not much of a pleasure

BB

[rtrinkle]

Since the beginning of April, we have been on the boat every weekend except one, when we installed a furling genoa. That was a day trip to the boat. We keep it about 1.5 hours away at Milford Haven.

Most of the time, we sail unless the wind is gone, then of course, we motor.

[Gater Dunn]

when my boat is slipped I live on board three or four days a week , but this yr I have so much crap to do at home & we have had such pitiful weather so far this yr I have not even pulled my boat outa my shop !!. when I'm home its always raining being as such my fricking grass is about 18" high

J

Whats with that frigin grass ? here one the wet coast if i dont cut it twice a week I cant find our mini mut

[ms101101]

I am at 8 days already stayinging on board at the marina and we live in Iowa!

[yukonbob]

Every day off of work. Since April 1 - 19 nights aboard. Only missed one to work the weekend and not by choice

[Crikey]

I hear the frikkin grass line! If it's the global warming effect that's bringing in all this rain then it's only a matter of time before we can float clear from our driveways - so keeping the boat in house a little longer, doing mods, may be a good thing .....

Just retired last year (lots of rain then too!) and I would have thought all the extra time should have been a boon to my on-water life. Not to be! Besides the mowing, gardening, planting and obsessive weeding I'm probably just doing the 2nd year Mac mod dance and keep telling myself it'll all get better soon.

Must've had thirty people this year - so far - who've pulled over and stopped my slavish activities, to enquire about the Macgregor. Must be the blue hull!

Ross

[Phil M]

Just retired last year (lots of rain then too!) and I would have thought all the extra time should have been a boon to my on-water life. Not to be! Besides the mowing, gardening, planting and obsessive weeding I'm probably just doing the 2nd year Mac mod dance and keep telling myself it'll all get better soon.
Ross

Crikey, I'm in the same boat (literally). Now that I've retired, I thought there would more time to be out on the water. No so, so far. But the mod dance has slowed down. If the weather would only cooperate a little more, sailing time would improve.

[Boblee]

Phil and Crikey we live a long way from worthwhile water but being retired plan for larger trips and get things done at home, have someone check for must do's or live in but mostly forget home (literally) for 3-4-5 months a year.
You have the opportunity like we have in five and a bit years we have lived in the boat probably 2 plus years land and water, even though the admiral is not keen on sailing, make the most of your opportunities it is the best possible boat for all activities.
Mostly in between trips here it is impractical to sail so we travel 3-10 hr's to water or in some cases weeks across the country but it's all been good just time now to see the desert country with a bit of fishing along the way .