Hello Sailing World!

We’re Kent and Becca – brand new to sailing, still learning the ropes. We have a dream of moving on to a sailboat when we retire, but that is a long way off, like, at least a decade. It’s tempting to be in a rush, to really get this ball rolling, but not this time! We’re taking our time, really delving into it, and we’re enjoying every moment, savoring it actually!

We got the sailing bug during the pandemic, watching YouTube videos. It was such a nice way to escape, to watch others enjoying the ocean.

I don’t recall the moment I realized you could traverse long distances using the power of the wind. The physics of it, like, how do you harness the wind like that? had me rapt.

I do recall the moment Kent said, “We could go places by sailboat that you can’t get to by other modes of transportation.” The destination potential….

So, we started looking into it.

FUN SAILING FACT: For most sailboats, the fastest position relative to the wind (referred to as “point of sail”) is a beam reach, with the wind coming at the boat at a 45-degree angle. A sailboat on a beam reach can go faster than going downwind!

We joined the University of Iowa sailing club here in central Iowa and learned to sail on a 14-foot FJ. After two summers, we decided to go to actual sailing school (Offshore Sailing School in Florida). It was one of the most exciting weeks of our lives.

Watch our sailing school adventure below.