Living near a sailing club

   It takes me an hour to drive to Chichester harbour to sail, at present. I
 think it makes me go sailing less because of the inconvenience.With my kids getting older and gradually leaving home, I am looking to the future where I will downsize, and possibly move to another part of the south of England. 

In my mind, it seems a wonderful idea to move right next to a body of water, maybe cutting the drive to the sailing club down to 10 minutes, or - pure dreamland - a 2 minute walk! Since I want to cruise, not just race, I imagine nipping out for evening sails and midweek sessions all the time.

Has anyone else done this? Did you actually go sailing more often? Or is it like the childhood dream of "living at the seaside" which doesn't deliver on what is in the mind's eye?

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MerlinMags Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 589	Post Options Post Reply Quote MerlinMags Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Living near a sailing club Posted: Yesterday at 9:13am
	It takes me an hour to drive to Chichester harbour to sail, at present. I think it makes me go sailing less because of the inconvenience.With my kids getting older and gradually leaving home, I am looking to the future where I will downsize, and possibly move to another part of the south of England. In my mind, it seems a wonderful idea to move right next to a body of water, maybe cutting the drive to the sailing club down to 10 minutes, or - pure dreamland - a 2 minute walk! Since I want to cruise, not just race, I imagine nipping out for evening sails and midweek sessions all the time. Has anyone else done this? Did you actually go sailing more often? Or is it like the childhood dream of "living at the seaside" which doesn't deliver on what is in the mind's eye?

PeterG Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 12 Jan 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 823	Post Options Post Reply Quote PeterG Report Post Quote Reply Posted: Yesterday at 10:14am
	I live about 2 minutes walk from my club, and my boat is visible from my bedroom window, which is great, though increasingly frustrating now I'm able to sail less and less. I'm not sure I raced a lot more when I moved here than I did at my previous club, but that was only 5 min in the car anyway. The big difference, also reflecting the site on an estuary and the boat, was that I was able to go out for a sail on my own when the weather suited and I felt like it. So yes, it delivered for me! Before that, living in London I thought at various times about joining a club, but never did, as I always found the idea of the travelling time too much. I'd definitely recomend living near a club if you can fit it in with other needs and possiblities.
	Peter Ex Cont 707 Ex Laser 189635 DY 59