Bold but beautiful mistakes

We give massive props to people who take steps into the unknown, as this author did, though he admits that his approach to sailing isn’t for everyone:

Don’t learn to sail like I did. My path into the pastime was impulsive. On a Sunday afternoon in October 2021, I was browsing Facebook Marketplace in Denver when I came across what I thought was a good deal: a light blue 1978 dinghy listed for $140.

On a whim, I drove to inspect the boat, which was missing its rudder and boom. The fiberglass hull looked solid, though, and the sails were in good condition. I didn’t know what else to look for, but I wanted a winter project, so I paid the man and towed the boat home.

As the cold weather descended, I researched the vessel, a Luger Leeward 16, and realized I could probably sell it for $1,200 with a modest investment and a lot of work. I figured if I learned to sail along the way, it’d be a bonus. I beat my $800 budget by 20 bucks, and in April 2022 at Cherry Creek Reservoir, I launched for the first time.

To my extreme relief, the boat floated. Then she sailed. Then I began to learn lakemanship the hard way—teaching myself, ignorant of the local resources that might have led me to smoother waters. – Full report