Sailing, Anyone

[murmaggie]

My husband and I just bought a sailboat... While I love to go out sailing, I told him to make sure he could single hand any boat so he wouldn't need me to help.

I also decided I better take sailing classes... and I'm having so much fun. The instructors know my limitations (actually, congenital hip problems are a bigger issue most days than MS), and find it a challenge to figure out ways I can handle the boat.

These sailing classes have motivated me to work on strength and balance, so I can become a better sailor.

If you have an opportunity to try it, I highly endorse it as a mood lifter!!

[Merganser]

Yay!!! I love to sail. I sailed small boats when I was younger, through college. Then I moved away from water and stopped. Finally, back near water (San Francisco Bay), we (husband and I) took sailing lessons in larger boats. We haven't looked back. Rented for some years, then bought a 33' boat, now we have a 38' boat.

Sailing is such a great equalizer. Even though I can't do everything (like walking around on the foredeck), I can do enough to be more than useful. I'm the person steering while the hard work is being done.

I totally recommend that you learn how to sail the boat well enough that you could retrieve your husband if he were to fall off/out. And, if you feel more confident, you'll have more fun.

In the Bay Area, there's a group called Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors that gets even severely disabled folks on the bay. It's a great organization and makes me realize I'll be able to keep sailing for a long time.

Welcome to the sailing world.

Susan

[AMFADVENTURES]

Need crew????

Call AMF!