Salt, sand & seawater - the reasons we are drawn to the sea.
Sailing off into the sunset certainly has a romantic connotation… the thought of waves dancing joyously against the hulls of the boat as you skip along the surface of the wide blue yonder, with sparkling gems of salt spray lightly kissing your face and new adventures awaiting on the horizon- this is why we cruise!
Avid sailor and writer, Carleton Mitchell, believed that to desire nothing beyond what you have is surely happiness. Of course, aboard a boat, it is frequently possible to achieve just that.
Enjoy Escape, Independence & Self-Sufficiency
For many of us, the joy of sailing comes from the rare and unique opportunity to escape the rigidity of the 9-5, the increasing pressures of social norms, and to forge our own path.
As with any remote journey, there is often time spent offline and off-grid, disconnected from the outside world for periods of time.
This independence allows for a great deal of space and time to sit with one’s own thoughts, growing and learning from hands-on experiences and the extraordinary opportunity to become fully present in the moment.
Immersed in Nature
With close to 8 billion people in the world today, sometimes it can be difficult to find uninterrupted time communing with the natural world.
A sailing vessel allows transport to places that few visit, often to locations where no roads lead. Here, nature is still wild and untouched and wildlife roams, swims or flies freely.
With many of our voyages in and around the West Coast, we often have remarkable encounters with migratory whales and the opportunity to become totally immersed in the diversity of marine life in the area.
Meeting Challenges
They say ‘It’s not all smooth sailing” and sometimes this is true. This is nothing to get apprehensive about, in fact, if there weren’t challenges in life you may never reach your full potential.
Sure, we live in a world of modern conveniences and the easy choice often feels the most comfortable but which choice allows for the most growth, change, and therefore, reward? More often than not it is through life’s challenges that we can gain the most.
Exercise, investing, travel, learning something new like sailing, all pose new challenges to conquer.
Camaraderie
As long as the history books date back, it is clear that a voyage spent at sea is a voyage to new relationships forged and friendships strengthened. Those looking to spend time ‘at sea’ will find that this shared experience has a miraculous way of breaking down personal boundaries, both due to its intimate living quarters and its new challenges encountered.
Developing and refining seamanship skills & knowledge
As with anything, practice makes perfect, and to get out there and cruise will of course improve your skillset and deepen your knowledge and understanding.
There are two things you need - a certain level of certification and eventually, there is no substitute for time spent operating a boat.
To sail with a professionally accredited instructor on a self-sufficient, well-equipped, and well-maintained sailboat gives you the best possible platform to hone your skills. With multiday basic and intermediate cruising courses on offer with Tula Sailing, these provide an excellent opportunity to develop and certify the on-the-water skills required to sail on extended coastal cruises safely and confidently.
For those of you tempted to have a taste of a life at sea, there is no better time than now to cast the lines and take to the helm with Peter from TulaSAILING. He has a range of upcoming cruising courses scheduled for this summer season and we would love to welcome you aboard for the journey.
Contact Us for more information.