My grandfather was a boatbuilder. My father taught me to sail – in an International 14ft dinghy – when I was 8 years old. Sailing was my life (I hated ball games, because I was no good at them) – until I got married at the age of 32.
After that, sailing took second place to raising a family (but included teaching my sons to sail) – until now.
I’m using New Freebooters to explore sailing in all its aspects, and to pass on what I find and what I remember (allow an old man his reminiscences, please) to anyone who finds it interesting and entertaining.
I’m not really interested in powerboats (with one notable exception so far – Steve Dashew’s FPB series) or fishing. New Freebooters is for people interested in wind powered boats, and will sometimes investigate other things that use the wind as a source of power.
Here are a few sailing-related categories that curiosity and reminiscence have led me into so far. There will be others:
I used to take my own skis on winter holidays, but the quality of equipment for rent improved out of all recognition, and the rate at which design progressed soon meant my own kit was obsolete. Renting gave me greater flexibility, and it gave me access to up-to-date equipment. The argument for sailing chartered yachts rather than owning one is perhaps even stronger, since you can’t stick an unused yacht in a corner of the garage – marinas and yard space cost money every day, whether you use it or not. Maybe it’s time I started doing some research and putting numbers to the argument. If you are already convinced, or want to check it out, have a look at what my partner BoatBookings.com has to offer in Croatia as a starter.
The full index to New Freebooters categories and sub-categories is in the right hand margin. Explore. Take your time. I hope you enjoy it – if so, bookmark the site or subscribe to the RSS feed.
And tell your friends.