A Super Star Centurion Shares His Secrets to On-Water Success
Six-time SpinSheet Century Club member Dave Nestel shares a bit about his on-water journey in 2019. Dave’s total is 229 days on the water this year and counting, which explains how he’s been a two-time Erewhon Award winner; this award, in honor of Jack Sherwood, is given to the Centurion who logs the most days on the water. Dave’s in the running… again. Here's his story in his own words.
About log-keeping
When the SpinSheet announced its Century Club contest in 2014, I had already been keeping track of how often I used the kayak that I purchased in 2002 in order to honestly assess the wisdom of that decision, since I had seen so many sitting unused in neighbor’s yards. For that same reason, I continued that record keeping process through several different sailboats that I owned as well. I can only suppose that I never felt the need to justify the ownership of my motor boats because I never kept track of how often I used them. Looking back at the sailing logs, there was only one year where I hit 105 days even though I started March 9 and stopped December 28!! This examination made me very curious as to how often I was “out there,” and it became a “no brainer” to join the club to finally track ALL my boating days in a calendar year.
I am often asked “what is your secret to spending so much time on the water”? The following is an explanation of why I believe that I’ve been able to exceed a 100 days on the water mark for the past six years.
First and foremost, I love boating and it is my one true passion.
Unlike many of my boating friends, their time on the water is often curtailed because of their added interests in activities that I would argue couldn’t be nearly as much fun as boating. Secondly, I’ve been retired since I was 50 years old, and I’ve had a lot of practice learning not to let work of any kind interfere with play. Not having 5 or 6 days a week cluttered with work obligations is a distinct advantage to being on the water more often.
I live on the water full time
Because I don’t have to travel to my boats I can justify going out, even if I only have an hour to devote. Since most of my boat rides last from 1 ½ to 3 hours, I don’t need the weather or my schedule to cooperate for an entire day in order to take a boat ride either.
Because I boat where I live, I am able to keep my 17-ft Boston Whaler and Jet Ski on lifts in my front yard, and using those vessels requires only a short walk to the dock and a touch of a button.
Of great importance to achieving lots of time on the water is the fact that my boats are simple by choice, and can be up in running in a matter of minutes. The Boston Whaler requires two drain plugs to be engaged, and the Jet Ski cover comes off in less than a minute. My Windrider sailboat can go from storage to sailing away from the community boat ramp in less than 10 minutes.
Another advantage gained by my small boats is that I can handle every aspect of their use by myself, and I don’t have to look for one or more crew to get out on the water. Having both a sailboat and powerboat affords me extra flexibility to spending a day on the water as well. For example, if I only owned a sailboat, a dead calm day would keep me on shore, but using my Jet Ski, Boston Whaler, or rowboat on days such as those allows me get on the water and take advantage of those conditions.
My Jet Ski and Boston Whaler are not expensive to run so I don’t have to limit their use because of budgetary constraints in purchasing fuel. Unlike my powerdriven vessels, my sailboat, rowboat, and kayak require no fuel, but are essentially the same in that they don’t require much in the way of maintenance each year as well, which certainly adds to their fun.
Trying to become a Century Club member each year has helped me
…to increase my number of days on the water by making me be more creative in how and when I go boating. I’ve learned to take advantage of the longer daylight periods in the summer by getting up earlier than normal and going for boat rides after dinner. I have found it a great time to row or even sail. It surprised me that there is often a great wind early in the morning or in the evening before the sun sets.
Many boaters will not think a minute about getting up at 5 a.m. to go to the gym but think I’m crazy when they see me out on the water at that time. Traveling by boat to restaurants, friends in marinas, or to see fireworks is usually more difficult than by car, but by making the added effort it becomes another way spend more time on the water.
A word about the weather…
Many days that aren’t great weatherwise can still be fun if you have the right gear. I do not winterize my sailboat, rowboat, or kayak, and log dozens of days on the water in the winter when many other boaters are reading books by the fireplace. Stuffing my body into a dry suit, boots, and gloves, for those winter trips takes a considerable amount of additional prep time that I normally don’t have to spend, but I know it entertains my wife immensely as she watches me struggle!
Ironically, some of the very best rides I’ve had, regardless of the boat I’m using, have been when I “pushed” myself to go out. Striving to “log” another day makes it more difficult to take the attitude that “I’ll wait until tomorrow because conditions aren’t just right.”
In addition, I’ve seen many such days change very quickly for the better, and it is great to be out there already when that occurs! Be patient in making a boating decision based on the weather. Conditions are rarely the same all day long, and it is very typical to have them change throughout the day. Rowing in the morning calm, sailing in the afternoon breeze, and motor boating in the evening can lead to a full, fun, and exhausting day on the water!
Unfortunately, l have learned that choosing which weather pattern will prevail isn’t an exact science. I’ve been seen by my neighbors drifting in my sailboat on a day that turned windless and bouncing in three-foot waves in my Boston Whaler when a calm day turned “snotty.”
The one weather condition that keeps me on shore consistently is the cold front with northwest winds blowing in excess of 12 mph. Because I live on the open Bay, my boat lifts and community ramp can quickly become pummeled by two to three-foot waves, making it extremely risky if not impossible to launch any of my boats.
My memory isn’t all that great, but the log has helped me remember the fun times
Boating in the same area day after day is certainly less memorable than that of a seven-day cruise or an official sailing regatta. So the small entries that I make for each boat ride usually highlight something of interest that made it special. What boat I used, where I went, who was onboard, a top speed and distance for my sailboat, and how long I was out are usually part of each entry.
Not only is it fun to look back at some of the special moments, but it can help you analyze the true cost of boat ownership which you may find is more reasonable then you previously thought. For example, during the 242 days spent on the water in 2018, I took rides on 18 different boats, traveled 900 miles on my Jet Ski, 1200 miles on my Windrider, took 398 boat rides, all of which kept me out of my “wife’s hair” for 756 hours.
Fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs this year for using my Boston Whaler and Jet Ski 136 hours were $1800. Hourly use for those boats was a modest $13.20/hour. Combine the other 520 hours spent in my Windrider Sailboat, rowboat, and kayak and the cost drops to a ridiculously cheap $2.30/hour.
“Forced” days on the water
Being a member of the Century Club for the past six years has been as simple as writing down the days that I spent on the water each year. While my pre-Century Club history found me on the water often, there is no doubt in my mind that participating in this challenge has “forced” me to get out on the water more often by discovering new routines and approaches to the boating that I do in order to log as many days possible.
Those additional “forced” days of boating have brought countless hours of pleasure that I surely would not have had sitting on shore. Knowing that there are other Century Club members has helped me feel more normal by realizing that “I’m not the only crazy person” that forsakes just about everything else so they can be out on the water!!!
The yearly celebration for the Century Club members sponsored by SpinSheet magazine is always a great party, and they have always been at great locations in the Annapolis area and a wonderful venue for sharing boating stories, seeing a great slide show, and making new boating friends, while drinking free beer! What other club can you join, simply by writing down the date when you were having the time of your life???
Learn more about the Century Club here.
