Beginnings Winter of 2014

I guess I'm not like most sailors because I never stepped foot on a sailboat until I was 36 years old, none of my family were sailors and I never grew up on the ocean. I'd always wanted to sail so I did things as I usually do and took Nike's advice...I just did it!! That was 2003 and I've been sailing ever since.

I sailed from Toronto ,Ontario, Canada to Bermuda in 2004 with two other guys and had an adventure that most people will never get to have in their lifetime. I sailed over 1000 miles inland through Lake Ontario, The St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Champlain in New York , down The Hudson River and 750 miles  out into the Atlantic Ocean that summer. We had cold weather ( 0 degrees Celcius) and rain to start our trip and a 3 1/2 day storm on the Atlantic Ocean 200 miles west of Bermuda with winds blowing 50 -60 knots and 30 foot waves...that's when I knew I was a cruiser!

I am a cruiser. A cruiser loves to travel by water whether it's under sail or by motor we don't care! Because it's the trip that is important. We don't concern ourselves with having the sails adjusted perfectly or try to tweak an extra 1/4 knot of boat speed out of the sails we just love being out there and to feel the boat moving in the direction of wherever we dream of going.

This blog is going to chronicle my adventures in the sailing vessel "Cork". Cork is my 1981 Bayfield 25 sailboat and we sail out of "Newcastle Marina" on Lake Ontario. Now having mentioned that  "I'm a cruiser" for those of you that have heard of a Bayfield 25 sailboat you will understand why I named her " Cork" but for those who do not know of the Bayfield 25 I will enlighten you. Bayfields are not racing boats....they do not look like a racing boat and they do not sail like a racing boat. They need 10 -20 knots of wind to keep them moving...below that ... they have an engine :)

Above is a picture of a beautiful Bayfield 25 ...not mine! Mine is pretty plain jane at the moment. I wanted to give you a look at what a Bayfield 25 can look like until mine is pretty enough for a picture. That is me sailing her on Lake ontario in the late summer of 2013 when I bought her. No dodger, bimini, nice looking teak trim...nope none of that...just a good cruising boat .... and cheap!

I hope to update this blog as I sail and fix up my boat. I wanted to blog about everyday life on a boat so that people can see that sailing isn't difficult and boats are not dangerous. Too often we hear about the big storms and such and it seems that people want new sailors to be scared. I'm not saying that stuff doesn't happen... it does... but some common sense and basic safety will see you through it.

See you on the water

Tom
S/V Cork