When I’m sailing, I just leave everything behind

[ Note: Capt. Kirk is on leave for a while. In the meantime, enjoy a version of this classic from our archives.]

I’ve tried to dodge all the chaos and
confusion
From the billion folks who seek the
Holy Grail
In a noisy world can you tell me
what’s more peaceful
Than the sound of wind moving
’cross a sail.
— Jim Morris

I couldn’t agree with my dear departed friend more.

With age, we learn to narrow down what we enjoy the most. Being past 70, I have done a lot of offshore and ocean crossing and been in great and not-so-great weather and seas — and I’ve concluded that sailing where there are gentle breezes and flat-water conditions is my kind of boating.

Charlotte Harbor and the access points all around the area are a small boat sailor’s delight. There are dozens of launch areas with easy access to the good open water of the harbor. My favorite is Port Charlotte Beach Park. This has a good boat ramp and an area where you can rig your boat without blocking others in line for the ramp.

Since we live on the water, we also have a boatlift, but we are up on the Peace River. This area is OK for short sailing in the day, but tacking is constant to stay out of the shallow waters. This is why Charlotte Harbor is great, with wide-open areas and long tacks so that, once you pick a course, you can relax and just sail on.

The type of boat you sail will be a personal preference. Some people like the go-fast boats like Hobie cats or Prindles or Nacra-style multihulls. Sailing kayaks are simple to rig and sail, and are also a lot of fun, too. Compact cruisers with small cabins for overnighting are all right if you like the camping lifestyle.

Nancy and I prefer to have a comfortable, wide-beam daysailer that performs well in light air or can be sailed fast when the wind pipes up. The Flying Scot fits the criteria, and there is even a small, covered area forward for stowing extra sails and drypack for towels, jackets, food and such.

There are a number of other manufacturers that have boats similar to the Flying Scot. O’Day has a 17-footer with similar handling and sailing traits. Precision sailboats, Melges, Buccaneer, Laser and many others are comparable.

Many people might remember the colorful diagonal sails of the Sunfish or the beginner’s boat, the Optimist Pram. These are still in use for teaching people to sail, especially kids. When I was growing up on the shores of Lake Erie, my first “real” boat was similar to a Sunfish.

Kool cigarettes promoted the outdoor life with ads for the Kool sailboat. My mom smoked (as did many of her friends), so she collected the coupons and sent away for this little boat. It was made of Styrofoam, with an aluminum mast and a green-and-white sail. The dagger board and rudder were wood, and everything came with the package except life jackets. It was also very light, so I could carry it from our house to the beach.

Huntington Beach is where I sailed, in Bay Village, Ohio. When I pushed off from the sand and set the sail, I watched the horizon. I could see other boats and iron ore ships in the distance and imagined pirate ships of old with their square-rigged sails flying in the breeze.

Most of my trips were only a few hours long, but occasionally I would camp overnight on a secluded stretch of beach. (Of course, I don’t mention the mosquitos or sand fleas or rain showers — I just try to remember only the good stuff.)

One sailing trip, that was supposed to be only about an hour long, turned into a four-hour ordeal when the rudder broke off. Being made of wood, it floated, so I used my paddle to go back and pick it up. I was re-rigging it — making McGyver-type repairs way before anyone ever heard of the TV series.

There is a lot of fun in sailing a larger boat and having the comfort of a more stable deck, a galley and a head (toilet) aboard. But getting closer to nature on a smaller boat seems to increase your awareness and enjoyment of nature. You always see crewmembers hiking out on the high side of small boats for balance. You even see the crews on big racing sailboats doing this, too. This is a good idea when the wind is howling, and you need to balance the boat.

Nancy and I like to sail in lighter winds, so we can sit on the low side and the water is just inches away as we quietly move through it. We have been startled several times while doing this, as a bottle nosed dolphin came up alongside to ride our meager wake.

Just being on the water is an amazing way to enjoy our great outdoors. As my late friend Jim Morris sang:

We spend too much time just dealing
with the details
And the problems weighing heavy
on our minds
When I’m sailing it’s amazing how
I just leave everything behind.

Fair winds; calm seas. ¦

— Capt. Dennis Kirk and his wife, Nancy, are avid mariners and outdoor enthusiasts currently living in North Port. Since the 1970s, their love of nature in Southwest Florida has allowed them to experience the dream of writing about their travels and adventures of sailing, fishing and flying.

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