Ahoy matey

The earlier threads about storms and rain and the threads about traveling had me thinking, thinking about sailing the sea. Not any specific type, but just being on the ocean - military sailing isn't barred from discussion though, of course!

Albeit I've never been to sea, I think once you break yourself in sailing can be a really enjoyable pastime. My uncle was a sailor in the navy and worked with the USMC around in Palestine, sailing the Mediterranean as a U.S. serviceman. He said a lot of the time spent at sea was a bit boring, but there was a lot of kinship to be had amongst the sailors and marines, telling of an arcade room of theirs that the men would compete on to no end. Personally I would love to do some island hopping for the sight-seeing oppurtunities, but that may just be me. What do you think?

...and now I have "The big ship sails" running through my head.

Fortunately - or unfortunately - being on the ocean is something I have very little experience with. I went to France by ferry when I was young, but I don't really remember the voyage at all. I DO remember going to the Isle of Wight when I was my first year at Secondary School, though. I took travel sickness pills, but I felt absolutely horrid both going there and coming back.

So I may or may not get seasick. The prospect of travelling by boat is less terrifying to me than travelling by plane, though. I can swim, so if the boat sinks, I can at least keep myself afloat. I can't fly, though, so if the plane starts falling, I'm screwed. I think if I were to travel, unless I was heavily sedated, boats would be the way to go. I don't mind the ocean.

It's so boring that it's fun. Whenever I go on cruises I spend most of the time just sitting on the upper levels looking out at the ocean and smelling that sweet sweet salt filled air while drinking a martini and not having to do any of the work.

If I had a small little sailboat I'd probably have a different opinion and a lot more to say.

I hate water travel. All of it. That may or may not have to do with the fact that I can barely swim.

Also, you know that thing with cruises, where you're stuck with the same people for a week? That scenario just doesn't sound good. What if there's some really clingy guy who follows you everywhere? What if there's a murderer? You couldn't escape him. Think about that situation.

I know I'm being over the top on that last one, but the point still stands; I hate water travel.

I know how to sail, though that's more of a coastal activity than something I do in the middle of the ocean. I haven't spent a lot of time on ships, though (just short-term ferry rides, never any trans-Atlantic crossings or longer vacation cruises). I like swimming, but I get seasick when I ride ships, so I'm not a huge fan of traveling longer distances by boat. Plus, if someone gets sick on a ship, it's easy for everyone else to end up getting sick as well. (Not to mention the murder possibility that someone mentioned--while unusual, I've watched enough murder mysteries set on boats that it doesn't seem like a completely far-fetched idea.)

As for naval involvement, my grandfather was in the Navy during/after WWII for a few years. No other naval involvement, though.

I've only been on a cruise once, to Alaska. I was pretty young so I don't remember it too well, but the food was good and I saw some orcas.

I take the ferry a lot though, sometimes to hang out in Victoria, or to camp in Sechelt. They're pretty short rides so I don't even think about the fact that I'm in water, I usually just eat my breakfast there and sit around until we arrive.

And then on the camping trips, sometimes we take those camper cruisers or even a rubber dinghy to smaller islands for fishing and clamming. I'm not so good on the smaller watercrafts, like it's fine when the boat is just moving in a straight line, but if we stop in the middle of water to fish and the thing is just bobbing around in the water, it makes me kinda sick. Especially when waves are hitting.

That said, I do enjoy sailing on small boats more - like I mentioned earlier, sometimes on the bigger watercrafts you sort of forget you're even in the water because there's so much to do on the boat (it's probably just me - its like how I forget that I'm even flying when I'm on a plane once I settle in), but on a small boat the water is literally all around you, and you're so close to it you have to appreciate how pretty the view is and all.

I'm actually pretty scared of the ocean. It's kind of an irrational fear because I don't really get why, but maybe it's because you can't see the bottom of the ocean and know what's down there. I'm okay on boats occasionally, but if I had the choice I would not go on the ocean. Cruises? Never. I used to sail as a kid before I was scared of the ocean, and I think I would be okay with sailing because you stay relatively close to the shore and being that close doesn't scare me.

Haven't got chance to sail anywhere, especially the city I live in is in middle of the country with no ocean around, but I have heard from people that sailing on ship is cool.

I have very little experience in sea travel. There were a few days that I went out on my uncle's boat with my cousin (I learned how to water ski and in general had a nice time bonding with them), but I've never sailed and I haven't been on the sea long enough to know whether or not I suffer from sea sickness. I'm sure I would, after an extended period.

I think sailing would be a great discipline to learn, and after a while, even possibly meditative. I have a small anxiety of not knowing all that lurks beneath the hull, but I wouldn't be terribly concerned unless I became shipwrecked and was exposed to the sea directly. I think it's a reasonable fear to have.

Due to the exploratory nature of sailing, if I had friends to travel with, I would learn how in a heartbeat. I love learning new things and bonding with friends who agree to commit to a project. [:

Ive only been or ferries or small coastal vessels but I do enjoy the experience I know I don't get seasick, On one Ferry crossing in the English Channel it was insanely choppy and the ferry was rocking side to side, I found that great fun lol, Going across the English Channel by ferry is a lot more fun that taking the channel Tunnel (Ive done both and the tunnel is kind of boring)
I would like to travel by sea more often, maybe just ferry crossings though, Am sure I would get bored on a long distance sail.

I can't say venturing on the surface is terribly appealing; sightseeing isn't my thing and the plain blue expanse under the sky when one really gets out there is quite... boring to behold, and without land in sight it can become uneasing. The notion of 'sailing', therefore, has never held any romantic sway over me. Visiting distant shores might've been interesting only in the time humans hadn't settled on most of them. Some of what lies below the surface, however, utterly fascinates the naturalist in me. I think I could happily pilot a bathyscape on some deep-sea exploration as long as it were about a place a lot of things live (an empty seafloor is just as boring a the surface!), but as I understand they don't tend to use manned craft anymore.

I've never actually traveled on the ocean, like a cruise or anything. I've always wanted to go to the Bahamas or Hawaii or somewhere tropical on a cruise but they're expensive! I've traveled on lakes and other bodies of water by boats; a couple of years ago I was on a steamboat sailing across the New York harbor and saw the Statue of Liberty at night; it was breathtaking.

I've ridden a ferry from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia before. I've also been whale-watching as well. It was very long ago, and I don't remember that much about it. :( I love the ocean though. It's so peaceful and calming.

I used to ride ferry a lot of times when I was younger. In New Zealand, the two islands are separated by water and although you can get between both by plane, ferry is also an option. It's not a long trip - about 5 hours-ish, but last I did that was Year 8 camp.

I remember last time I went down for camp, my teacher's phone rang, she panicked since it was from the principal and wanted to answer it quickly... and then she ended up dropping her phone into the ocean haha.