6 Lessons I Learned Sailing Solo

It’s hard to be independent when you have home comforts within easy reach. Sometimes it takes a small leap to see if you really have what it takes to fly on your own. Here are 6 lessons that I learned sailing solo.

Sailing Solo

1. Go with the flow

Go With The Flow

When I first began sailing from place to place I was very anxious. I tried to get to my destination as fast as I could. I would stare at my GPS and my stress levels would go way up if I wasn’t averaging at least 5 knots. I almost lost it when I was sailing off Montauk Point and I didn’t make it into the harbor before dark. In fact, it took me 4 hours to get 5 miles into lake Montauk. I was motoring straight into the current, wind, and waves. I could have sailed easily downwind to Block Island and save myself a ton of stress and wear and tear on my engine but it was my stubbornness and the anticipation of getting to my destination and getting there that night that almost drove me nuts.

I have learned to relax. I will always get to where I am going and there is a reason for everything. If it takes me a week to get 20 miles it might be because there is something beautiful I am meant to see, or an experience in there I am meant to have, something that I may miss if I am overly concerned with my destination. I do my best to stay in the moment, be aware of my surroundings, and find the good in what appears to be bad.

2. If something needs to be done, DO IT. Right away and completely

Winch Maintenance

When you get it done right away it can’t get worse, you don’t stress about it, and it is less likely that something else will break.

This is a lesson that I am still working on and am sure will be working on for a while. If I need to switch to a smaller sail because the wind is picking up and I wait it usually becomes MUCH more of a pain in the @$$ because I am heeled over harder, the sail is flogging, and waves are breaking over my bow. If I changed right away it would be a simple two minute process with no hassle. Same thing goes for when something needs to be fixed or maintained. If I wait it may get worse, it might be broken when I need it, or it might break while I am using it.

The most important reason for not procrastinating, that I have learned while sailing solo, is to reduce stress. If I know something needs to be done it causes stress. Whether I am conscious about it or not the stress will wear down on me and take away from my enjoyment, health, and happiness. I get it done so I do not have to worry about it!

Quick story if you haven’t heard it before

“A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!”

3. Meet New People

Savannah Basket Weaver

Most strangers in New York are not the most friendly open individuals to each other. Traveling through other parts of the country I have realized how friendly, open, and honest people can be. When I sailed into Oriental, NC I met half a dozen wonderful people before I even got off the dock.

It was tough to get out of the hustle and bustle of my conventional life and pick my head up out of my phone long enough to have a conversation with a stranger. When I realized what kind of people are out there I made a very conscious effort to not be too focused on what I was doing and always make time for a conversation with a stranger. I never know what kind of person I will meet but it is awesome to see what other people are doing in this world and their outlook on life.

4. Document!

Sailing log

Sailing solo makes it tricky sometimes to take pictures or write down something when craziness is happening. I have been doing my best to snap away and write in my Log (Thanks Tulio!) so that I can look back at what I have done and recall some amazing experiences I may have forgotten. It is also a great way for me to share my adventures with my friends and family!

If you want to see the awesome pics and documentation of Tula’s restoration click HERE!

5. Learn, Learn, Learn

Sailing Books

I try to be a sponge and soak up as much information and knowledge around me as possible. It’s hard to resist the urges of facebook and instagram but most of the stuff I see on there is useless. Partying, drama, complaining, etc. I have learned to read as much as I can and catch myself when I am surfing on the internet staring at useless crap. I take notes and screen shots so I can refer back to them later on. Marked books prove to  be very useful when I am sailing solo.

6. DO THINGS

This goes back to the facebook, instagram, and twitter stuff. I have found that social media can be awesome ways to get inspired and see what people are doing. I follow a lot of watermen, athletes, sailors, and people who are doing great things. This inspires me when I happen to cross them but sometimes I catch myself browsing through too much junk that just wastes time and corrupts my creativity.

Real experiences come from doing things so when I find myself wasting time browsing facebook I make sure I shut that $hit off right away and get outside. Train, run, paddle, swim, kite, anything!

Body Surf

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain