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Original poster

Can you ski and / or sail? (Not at all inspired by another thread)

115 replies

cakeorwine · 01/01/2025 12:27

Just that really.

I learnt to sail when I was young. On dinghies. I've done a bit since and am a member of a sailing club. I'm ok at it - although I prefer light winds.

I can ski a bit - had a few skiiing holidays, but haven't done it with DS as it's expensive during school holidays. Different now as he's not at school anymore so we are going soon.

I like sailing - it's relaxing. I'm not really into racing - but that's what sailing clubs like to do. I just like being on the water.

Can you ski and / or sail?

OP posts:
Idratherbepaddleboarding · 01/01/2025 12:53

Ski- yes, slowly!
Sail- not really but I’ve had a few goes.
Horse ride- yes, well.

DS can ski but prefers to snowboard and sail but hates horse riding.

boulevardofbrokendreamss · 01/01/2025 12:53

Yes both, badly

BaronessBomburst · 01/01/2025 12:57

I can ski and ride, but don't sail. DH skis and sails, but doesn't ride.
We don't hunt, shoot or fish.
Do you play chess?
And how about a waltz? 😉

lissie123 · 01/01/2025 12:58

Yes both my dh,kids and I can do both

FranksInvisibleLlama · 01/01/2025 12:59

No, never tried sailing, skiing or horse riding.
Desperately wanted to horse ride for my entire childhood, but never really wanted to sail or ski. I have terrible hand eye coordination and balance and don’t like to be cold and wet.

handsdownthebest · 01/01/2025 13:00

Love skiing but the sailing has not worked for me ...tho the husband loves it.
I'm badly coordinated so the whole changing the sails etc is a bit of a disaster for me and have been known to jibe quite badly 😬

MadridMadridMadrid · 01/01/2025 13:01

Went on three skiing holidays as a young adult. I think at the height of my skiing ability I could have managed a red run. But it's over 30 years since I last went skiing, so the answer would be a no now. Have never learned to ride a horse or sail.

LittleRedRidingHoody · 01/01/2025 13:01

I can't do either (unless you count getting knocked off a boat learning to sail 5 mins into a Scout day out when I was 12 and spending the rest of the day watching from the cafe).

Going skiing for the first time this year though! 🤞 No plans to go back out sailing, but I hold a strange fascination of Jet Skiing so may attempt a trial day of that at some point.

Shitlord · 01/01/2025 13:03

I can sail and ride but have never ski'ed or snowboarded. I'd like to try langlaufen but not really interested in downhill. Haven't got the coordination now

Ethelswith · 01/01/2025 13:04

Yes to both

I've rather lost my nerve at skiing, and prefer to go out snowshoeing these days

And I'm very novice at sailing (dinghy) but do enjoy it. I'd only go out with someone considerably more experienced, but I love being out on the water. Also I row and kayak, and am qualified for powerboats but haven't taken one of those out for years!

Edited to add: and also I can ride. I haven't done so in years as I live in a city, but I used to be quite good back in the day

Meadowfinch · 01/01/2025 13:06

Yes I can ski. I can ride a horse, scuba dive and shoot too. I didn't have ds until I was in my 40s so had plenty of time to play.

I plan to learn to sail a dingy when I retire. 😊

Notmyregularusrname · 01/01/2025 13:08

Yes. My DF (not posh, but ex army) was adamant that all children should be able to ski, sail, ride, shoot and have basic survival skills.

My kids were not at all interested in skiing.

They were interested in sailing, but we got to the top of the clubs list just as Covid shut everything down, it took them 2 years to get going again and the club started up a new 2 year wait list 🙄

They can ride, shoot etc though.

MajorCarolDanvers · 01/01/2025 13:10

not posh. Did both at school (we were near a dry ski slope) and sailing and other watersports in scouts

like skiing but love being on the water

Aparecium · 01/01/2025 13:10

I used to be able to do both. Not particularly well, but well enough to have fun, and well enough to crew a small yacht. Not done either since I had children, and doubt I ever will again. Have lost the physical abilities needed, and have forgotten the technical knowledge. Probably have not lost my strongest seafaring skill: seasickness!

NoraLuka · 01/01/2025 13:11

I have never been skiing, have been sailing but I am a liability if left in charge of the boat. I’m also incapable of setting up the sails etc. So I guess that’s no, I can’t sail! Can ride a horse though.

BlackeyedSusan · 01/01/2025 13:12

Ski : no. Tried at a ski centre and was crap. Flexible joints and not enough muscle strength.

Sail...had a few goes as a kid at school things. But no.

olderbutwiser · 01/01/2025 13:13

My brain can ski and my body used to be able to, but last time I skied it became apparent my brain was a bit overoptimistic about what my body could achieve.

Just looking at pictures of boats makes me seasick, so no sailing for me thank you.

RampantIvy · 01/01/2025 13:14

I tried skiing in Lapland. Was fine doing cross country, but fell over on a short hill. I can skate, and used to love sailing.

I was a sea ranger when I was a teenager. We were members of a sailing club on the Thames, and used to spend a lot of time in the summer rowing and canoing, and sailing when it was windy enough. I loved messing about on the river.

JC03745 · 01/01/2025 13:16

Skiied since I was 4 because my parents were members of a ski lodge abroad. I won the womens giant slalom at uni and used to ski several times a year. I've only sailed on a school camp!

DH has skiied since he was about 12. He did his competent crew sailing course and used to sail when we lived abroad, but not since returning to the UK.

Treemules · 01/01/2025 13:17

Yes I skied a fair bit when a teenager/ early 20’s, although haven’t been in about 10 years now. Plan to take the kids in the next year or two.
I recently tried sailing on holiday and I love it. Hoping to learn properly soon - I am on the south coast and there are a couple of sailing clubs nearby.

HeadNorth · 01/01/2025 13:18

No to both. But I have horses, so one expensive & dangerous hobby is quite enough for this lifetime 😁

EveryKneeShallBow · 01/01/2025 13:19

Don’t know anyone who skis or sails. I know people who ride but never had any desire to do so. Can’t pilot a light aircraft or ride a motorcycle, but I can plough a reasonable straight furrow and reverse a trailer.

HelpMeGetThrough · 01/01/2025 13:20

I can sail. My dad has sailed all his life and also did a lot of racing. We had a boat of our own for quite a few years.

I didn't start in dinghies, crewed for years on 30 and 35 foot boats.

Also did manage to do a week crewing on an Admirals Cup boat back in the 80s. That was an eye opener!!

KnottyKnitting · 01/01/2025 13:22

We are avid sailors although came to it late. We have owned a boat for about 13 years now. We have a 37 foot boat and have been all over in it.

DH did a bit as a kid on dinghies and then decided we were going to get a boat. I absolutely hated it to start with but as I got more experienced I just fell in love with it. DH has yacht master and I did day skipper a while back. We have also done flotillas in Greece and the canaries which was lovely. Can't wait for the season to start again!

Wallywobbles · 01/01/2025 13:24

Ski and ride well, have horses still. But too fat to do either at the moment.
Sailing - done a bit but not much.
Kids can do all three. Lucky to live in France and they can go skiing without parents.

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