a sailboat on a lake sails 40

A sailboat on a lake sails 40. meters north and then sails 40. meters due east. Compared to its starting position, the new position of the sailboat is

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Answer by Samuel · Sep 30, 2021

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Physics Regents Review

10th - 12th grade.

10 questions

Introducing new   Paper mode

No student devices needed.   Know more

Which pair of quantities represent scalar quantities?

Displacement and Velocity

Displacement and Time

Distance and Velocity

Distance and Time

A sailboat on a lake sails 40. meters north and then sails 40. meters due east. Compared to its starting position, the new position of the sailboat is

40 m due east

40 m due north

57 m northeast

80 m northeast

A ball is dropped from a cliff. What choice best describes the velocity and acceleration of the ball as it falls freely?

Both velocity and acceleration are zero

Velocity increases and the acceleration stays the same

Both velocity and acceleration are increasing

Velocity decreases and the acceleration stays the same

How would the mass and weight of an object on the Moon compare to the mass and weight of the same object on Earth?

Mass and weight would be less on the Moon.

Mass would be the same but the weight would be less on the Moon.

Mass would be less on the moon but the weight would be the same.

Mass and weight would both be the same on the Moon.

An object is moving with constant speed in a circular path. The object’s centripetal acceleration remains constant in

Magnitude, only

Direction, only

Both magnitude and direction

Neither magnitude or direction

As shown in the diagram below, a rope attached to a 500.-kilogram crate is used to exert a force of 45 newtons at an angle of 65 degrees above the horizontal. The horizontal component of the force pulling the crate forward must be

A 5.0-kilogram box is sliding across a level floor. The box is acted upon by a force of 27 newtons east and a frictional force of 17 newtons west. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the box?

The velocity-time graph shows how the velocity of a car changes with time. What is the magnitude of the car's acceleration?

The diagram below represents a 2.0-kilogram toy car moving at a constant speed of 3.0 meters per second counterclockwise in a circular path with a radius of 2.0 meters. At the instant shown in the diagram, the centripetal force acting on the car is

4.5 N north

A student wishes to record a 7.5-kilogram watermelon colliding with the ground. Calculate approximately how far the watermelon must fall freely from rest so it would be traveling at 29 meters per second the instant it hits the ground.

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10 Best Sailboats for a Fun Lake Day

Table of Contents

Sailing on lakes can be fun, especially if the wind is steady and the water is relatively flat. Although a 50-foot sailboat wouldn’t go amiss on Lake Superior, most lakes are perfect for smaller, more lightweight boats.

For inland waterways, it’s best to find compact sailboats under 30 feet with a centerboard or swing keel so they can be trailed from one lake to another. A tabernacle or collapsible mast that folds or is removable also comes in handy.

Finally, there’s a difference between a small open sailboat for day outings and one with a bunk and a head (toilet) so you can camp aboard for the weekend. Let’s look at a mix of 10 older and newer boats perfect for lake sailing.

• Catalina 22 (25 & 27 also available)

Discover sailboat rentals for a lake day near you

1. Optimist

The Optimist sailing dinghy weighs under 80 pounds and is virtually unsinkable. They’re easy to find since over 100,000 hulls have been sold.

Designed in the 1970s, the Laser is a simple sailboat with a single sail and room for one. It’s very popular with one-design racers.

A workhorse in yacht club youth sailing programs, the Sabot is a sailing dinghy with a centerboard that is perfect for kids to learn the ropes – literally.

This open 14-footer was first built in 1958 and developed quite a following with dinghy sailors. It has a fractional rig and a centerboard and can be sailed by one or two.

The Sunfish is more sophisticated than a typical sailing dinghy and can carry two adults since it’s 14 feet long. It’s a great boat on which to master racing skills.

6. Harbor 20

A fast and contemporary daysailer, the Harbor 20 was conceived on a bar napkin by fellow yacht clubbers, and its appeal has grown worldwide since. Fast and fun, the Harbor 20 even has a small electric motor hidden in the transom .

7. Alerion 28

Smart and sophisticated, the Alerion 28 turns heads with its impressive lines. With classic East Coast styling, the Alerion 28 has a beautifully appointed interior with all the amenities a couple would need for weekending.

8. Hobie Cat (assorted lengths)

This rotomolded sailing catamaran is virtually indestructible, which is why it’s so popular with resort and hotel fleets. There are a few to choose from, with the 18-foot Mirage Tandem Island model offering not only sails but also patented pedal power below the water.

9. MiniCat (assorted lengths)

This model is surprisingly sophisticated, an inflatable sailing catamaran with kick-up rudders and lots of sail trim adjustments. It can be assembled in under an hour and packed into two bags for easy transport.

10. Catalina 22 (25 & 27 also available)

The smallest of the current Catalina Yachts line , the 22, and its slightly larger siblings can be sailed coastally and on lakes. These covered boats have a V- berth bunk, toilet, sink, ice box, and room for a camping stove.

Try renting a sailboat

You don’t need to own a sailboat to have the pleasure of cruising on one. You can rent a sailboat for a fun lake day. On Boatsetter, you’ll see many of the models we cover above. You have the pick of the litter to see which one fits your style of sailing. And if you ever buy a sailboat, you can list here and start making money renting it out!

Dive In! Here’s more on sailboats:

• 7 Best Sailboat Accessories
• 10 Best Beginner Sailboats
• Newport, Rhode Island: The Sailing Capital of the World

Boatsetter is a unique boat-sharing platform that gives everyone— whether you own a boat or you’re just renting — the chance to experience life on the water. You can list a boat , book a boat , or make money as a captain .

List your boat & start earning an avg. of $20K yearly with Boatsetter

Zuzana Prochazka is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen sailing and powerboating magazines and online publications including Southern Boating, SEA, Latitudes & Attitudes and SAIL. She is SAIL magazines Charter Editor and the Executive Director of Boating Writers International. Zuzana serves as judge for SAIL’s Best Boats awards and for Europe’s Best of Boats in Berlin. 

A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana founded and manages a flotilla charter organization called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations worldwide. 

Zuzana has lived in Europe, Africa and the United States and has traveled extensively in South America, the islands of the South Pacific and Mexico. 

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20 Best Small Sailboats for the Weekender

• By Mark Pillsbury
• Updated: August 4, 2021

In order to go cruising, most of us require a sailboat with a head, a galley, and bunks. The boat, likely a 30-footer and more often a 40-footer, will have electronics for navigation and entertainment, refrigeration if the trip is longer than a coastal hop, an engine for light wind, and, depending on our appetites for food and fun, perhaps a genset to power our toys and appliances.

To go sailing , however, all we really need is a hull, mast, rudder, and sail. To experience the pure joy of sheeting in and scooting off across a lake, bay, or even the open ocean, there’s nothing better than a small sailboat – we’re talking sailboats under 25 feet. You can literally reach out and touch the water as it flows past. You instantly feel every puff of breeze and sense every change in trim.

Some of the boats in this list are new designs, others are time-tested models from small sailboat manufacturers, but every one is easy to rig, simple to sail, and looks like a whole lot of fun either for a solo outing on a breezy afternoon or to keep family and friends entertained throughout your entire sailing season. This list is made up of all types of sailboats , and if you’re looking for a list of some of the best small sailboats for beginners, you’ll find exactly that here.

Any one of these popular boats could be labeled as a trailerable sailboat, daysailer, or even a weekender sailboat. And while most would be labeled as a one or two person sailboat, some could comfortably fit three or even four people.

Marblehead 22 Daysailer

If you have an eye for elegant lines and your heart goes pitter-patter over just the right amount of overhang beneath a counter transom, the Marblehead 22 daysailer, designed by Doug Zurn and built by Samoset Boatworks in Boothbay, Maine, will definitely raise your pulse. Traditional-looking above the waterline and modern beneath, the cold-molded hull sports a deep bulb keel and a Hall Spars carbon-fiber mast with a wishbone rig and square-top main. The 11-foot-9-inch cockpit can seat a crowd, and a small cuddy forward will let you stow your friends’ gear for the day. samosetboatworks.com

Catalina 22 Sport

Many a harbor plays host to an active fleet of Catalina 22s, one of the most popular small sailboats over the years, given its basic amenities and retractable keel, which allows it to be easily trailered. Recently, the company introduced the Catalina 22 Sport, an updated design that can compete with the older 22s. The boat features a retractable lead keel; a cabin that can sleep four, with a forward hatch for ventilation; and a fractional rig with a mainsail and a roller-furling jib. Lifelines, a swim ladder, and an engine are options, as are cloth cushions; vinyl cushions are standard. The large cockpit will seat a crowd or let a mom-and-pop crew stretch out and enjoy their sail. It’s clear why the Catalina 22 is one of the best sailboats under 25 feet. catalinayachts.com

With its large, open-transom cockpit and sloop rig, the Hunter 22 makes a comfortable daysailer for family and friends. But with its cuddy cabin, twin bunks, optional electrical system, opening screened ports, and portable toilet, a parent and child or a couple could comfortably slip away for an overnight or weekend. Add in the optional performance package, which includes an asymmetric spinnaker, a pole, and a mainsheet traveler, and you could be off to the races. The boat features a laminated fiberglass hull and deck, molded-in nonskid, and a hydraulic lifting centerboard. Mount a small outboard on the stern bracket, and you’re set to go. marlow-hunter.com

Not sure whether you want to race, cruise or just go out for an afternoon sail? Since 1958, sailors have been having a ball aboard the Uffa Fox/George O’Day-designed Daysailer. Fox, who in the 1950s was on the cutting edge of planning-dinghy design, collaborated with Fall River, Massachusetts boatbuilder O’Day Corp. to build the 16-foot Daysailer, a boat that features a slippery hull and a small cuddy cabin that covers the boat roughly from the mast forward. Thousands of Daysailers were built by various builders, and they can be found used for quite affordable prices. There are active racing fleets around the US, and new Daysailers are still in production today, built by Cape Cod Ship Building. capecodshipbuilding.com

BayRaider from Swallow Boats

Easy to rig and trailer, the BayRaider from England’s Swallow Yachts is a relative newcomer to the small-boat market in the United States. Nearly all of its 19 feet 9 inches is open cockpit, though a spray hood can be added to keep the forward sections dry. The BayRaider is ketch-rigged with a gunter-style mainmast. The topmast and mizzen are both carbon-fiber, which is an option for the mainmast as well. The BayRaider can be sailed with a dry hull in lighter conditions or with 300 pounds of water ballast to increase its stability. With the centerboard and hinged rudder raised, the boat can maneuver in even the thinnest water.

$28,900, (904) 234-8779, swallowyachts.com

Big fun can come in small packages, especially if your vessel of choice happens to be the 12 ½-foot Beetle Cat. Designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921, the wooden shallow draft sailboat is still in production today in Wareham, Massachusetts at the Beetle Boat Shop. With a draft of just 2 feet, the boat is well-suited for shallow bays, but equally at home in open coastal waters. The single gaff-rigged sail provides plenty of power in light air and can be quickly reefed down to handle a blow. In a word, sailing a Beetle Cat is fun. beetlecat.com

West Wight Potter P 19

With berths for four and a workable galley featuring a cooler, a sink, and a stove, West Wight Potter has packed a lot into its 19-foot-long P 19. First launched in 1971, this is a line of boats that’s attracted a true following among trailer-sailors. The P 19′s fully retractable keel means that you can pull up just about anywhere and go exploring. Closed-cell foam fore and aft makes the boat unsinkable, and thanks to its hard chine, the boat is reportedly quite stable under way. westwightpotter.com

NorseBoat 17.5

Designed for rowing and sailing (a motor mount is optional), the Canadian-built NorseBoat 17.5—one of which was spotted by a CW editor making its way through the Northwest Passage with a two-man crew—features an open cockpit, a carbon-fiber mast, and a curved-gaff rig, with an optional furling headsail set on a sprit. The lapstrake hull is fiberglass; the interior is ply and epoxy. The boat comes standard with two rowing stations and one set of 9-foot oars. The boat is designed with positive flotation and offers good load-carrying capacity, which you could put to use if you added the available canvas work and camping tent. NorseBoats offers a smaller sibling, the 12.5, as well; both are available in kit form.

$19,000, (902) 659-2790, norseboat.com

Montgomery 17

Billed as a trailerable pocket cruiser, the Montgomery 17 is a stout-looking sloop designed by Lyle Hess and built out of fiberglass in Ontario, California, by Montgomery Boats. With a keel and centerboard, the boat draws just under 2 feet with the board up and can be easily beached when you’re gunkholing. In the cuddy cabin you’ll find sitting headroom, a pair of bunks, a portable toilet, optional shore and DC power, and an impressive amount of storage space. The deck-stepped mast can be easily raised using a four-part tackle. The builder reports taking his own boat on trips across the Golfo de California and on visits to California’s coastal islands. Montgomery makes 15-foot and 23-foot models, as well. If you’re in search of a small sailboat with a cabin, the Montgomery 17 has to be on your wish list.

With long overhangs and shiny brightwork, the CW Hood 32 is on the larger end of the daysailer spectrum. Designers Chris Hood and Ben Stoddard made a conscious decision to forego a cabin and head in favor of an open cockpit big enough to bring 4 or 5 friends or family out for an afternoon on the water. The CW Hood 32 is sleek and graceful through the water and quick enough to do some racing, but keeps things simple with a self-tacking jib and controls that can be lead back to a single-handed skipper. A top-furling asymmetrical, electric sail drive and Torqeedo outboard are all optional. The CW Hood 32 makes for a great small family sailboat.  cwhoodyachts.com

Sun Cat from Com-Pac

Shallow U.S. East Coast bays and rock-strewn coasts have long been graced by cat boats, whose large, gaff-rigged mainsails proved simple and powerful both on the wind and, better yet, when reaching and running. The 17-foot-4-inch Sun Cat, built by Com-Pac Yachts, updates the classic wooden cat with its fiberglass hull and deck and the easy-to-step Mastender Rigging System, which incorporates a hinged tabernacle to make stepping the mast a one-person job. If you want a personal sailboat ideal for solo sailing, the Sun Can is a great choice. Belowdecks, the twin 6-foot-5-inch berths and many other features and amenities make this cat a willing weekender.

$19,800, (727) 443-4408, com-pacyachts.com

Catalina 16.5

The Catalina 16.5 sits right in the middle of Catalina Yachts’ line of small sailboats, which range from the 12.5 to the 22 Capri and Sport, and it comes in both an easy-to-trailer centerboard model and a shoal-draft fixed-keel configuration. With the fiberglass board up, the 17-foot-2-inch boat draws just 5 inches of water; with the board down, the 4-foot-5-inch draft suggests good windward performance. Hull and deck are hand-laminated fiberglass. The roomy cockpit is self-bailing, and the bow harbors a good-sized storage area with a waterproof hatch. catalinayachts.com

No roundup of best small sailboats (trailerable and fun too) would be complete without a mention of the venerable Hobie 16, which made its debut in Southern California way back in 1969. The company has introduced many other multihulls since, but more than 100,000 of the 16s have been launched, a remarkable figure. The Hobie’s asymmetric fiberglass-and-foam hulls eliminate the need for daggerboards, and with its kick-up rudders, the 16 can be sailed right up to the beach. Its large trampoline offers lots of space to move about or a good place to plant one’s feet when hanging off the double trapezes with a hull flying. The boat comes with a main and a jib; a spinnaker, douse kit, trailer, and beach dolly are optional features. hobiecat.com

Novice sailors or old salts looking for simplicity could both enjoy sailing the Hunter 15. With a fiberglass hull and deck and foam flotation, the boat is sturdily built. The ample freeboard and wide beam provide stability under way, and the heavy-duty rubrail and kick-up rudder mean that you won’t have to worry when the dock looms or the going grows shallow. Both the 15 and its slightly larger 18-foot sibling come standard with roller-furling jibs.

$6,900/$9,500 (boat-show prices for the 15 and 18 includes trailers), (386) 462-3077, marlow-hunter.com

Super Snark

Under various owners, the Snark brand of sailboats, now built by Meyers Boat Co., has been around since the early 1970s. The Super Snark, at 11 feet, is a simple, easily car-topped daysailer that’s fit out with a lateen rig and sail. Billed as unsinkable, the five boats in the company’s line are built with E.P.S. foam, with the external hull and deck vacuum-formed to the core using an A.B.S. polymer. The Super Snark weighs in at 50 pounds, and with a payload capacity of 310 pounds, the boat can carry two.

$970, (800) 247-6275, meyersboat.com

Norseboat 21.5

Built in Canada, the NorseBoat 21.5 is a rugged looking craft that comes in a couple of configurations: one with an open cockpit and small doghouse, and another with a smaller cockpit and cabin that houses a double berth for two adults and optional quarter berths for the kids. Both carry NorseBoat’s distinctive looking carbon fiber gaff-rigged mast with main and jib (a sprit-set drifter is optional), and come with a ballasted stub keel and centerboard. Because of its lightweight design, the boat can be rowed and is easily trailered.

$36,000 (starting), 902-659-2790, norseboat.com

Flying Scot

Talk about time-tested, the 19-foot Flying Scot has been in production since 1957 and remains a popular design today. Sloop rigged, with a conventional spinnaker for downwind work, the boat is an easily sailed family boat as well as a competitive racer, with over 130 racing fleets across the U.S. Its roomy cockpit can seat six to eight, though the boat is often sailed by a pair or solo. Hull and deck are a fiberglass and balsa core sandwich. With the centerboard up, the boat draws only eight inches. Though intended to be a daysailer, owners have rigged boom tents and berths for overnight trips, and one adventurous Scot sailor cruised his along inland waterways from Philadelphia to New Orleans.

Known primarily for its line of racing dinghys, RS Sailing also builds the 16-foot, 4-inch Venture, which it describes as a cruising and training dinghy. The Venture features a large, self-draining cockpit that will accommodate a family or pack of kids. A furling jib and mainsail with slab reefing come standard with the boat; a gennaker and trapeze kit are options, as is an outboard motor mount and transom swim ladder. The deck and hull are laid up in a fiberglass and Coremat sandwich. The Venture’s designed to be both a good performer under sail, but also stable, making it a good boat for those learning the sport.

$14,900, 203-259-7808, rssailing.com

Topper makes a range of mono- and multihull rotomolded boats, but the model that caught one editor’s eye at Strictly Sail Chicago was the Topaz Taz. At 9 feet, 8 inches LOA and weighing in at 88 pounds, the Taz is not going to take the whole crowd out for the day. But, with the optional mainsail and jib package (main alone is for a single child), the Taz can carry two or three kids or an adult and one child, and would make a fun escape pod when tied behind the big boat and towed to some scenic harbor. The hull features Topper’s Trilam construction, a plastic and foam sandwich that creates a boat that’s stiff, light, and durable, and shouldn’t mind being dragged up on the beach when it’s time for a break.

$2,900 (includes main and jib), 410-286-1960, topazsailboats.com

WindRider WRTango

WRTango, a fast, sturdy, 10-foot trimaran that’s easy to sail, is the newest portable craft from WindRider International. It joins a line that includes the WR16 and WR17 trimarans. The Tango features forward-facing seating, foot-pedal steering, and a low center of gravity that mimics the sensation of sitting in a kayak. It weighs 125 pounds (including the outriggers and carbon-fiber mast), is extremely stable, and has single-sheet sail control. The six-inch draft and kick-up rudder make it great for beaching, while the hull and outriggers are made of rotomolded polyethylene, so it can withstand running into docks and being dragged over rocks.

$3,000, 612-338-2170, windrider.com

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Sailing On A Lake Vs Ocean: 6 Differences

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

It's essential to consider whether you'll be sailing on a lake or an ocean. With this, you'll know what to expect, how to prepare for your sailing adventures, and how to choose a vessel that suits the environment and your sailing purposes.

If you've sailed in various water bodies, you probably will appreciate that sailing can be quite different depending on the location. Of course, factors such as the weather, climate and temperature can make huge differences. For example, warmer weather can create long periods in which you can enjoy sailing. Again, some several pros and cons are exclusive to the type or size of the water body that you choose for your sailing escapades. As such, it's important to try sailing on a lake and an ocean and see which one works best for you. Whatever water body you choose, keep in mind that there are several things to factor in when choosing a sailing location.

What are the differences between sailing on a lake and ocean? While the sailing spotlight tends to shine brighter on oceans, that doesn't mean that lakes aren't great for sailing. Well, sailing on a lake can produce similar feelings of tranquility and wonder as any ocean in the world.

Despite being almost the same, there are some differences between sailing on an ocean and sailing on a lake. If you're an adrenaline junkie and enjoy the challenges that come with huge storm patterns, large wind waves, and chasing tuna and sea turtles, the ocean might be the best place for your sailing adventures. But if you want to sail in a calm and tranquil environment, sailing on a lake could be the better option.

In this article, we'll take a look at the differences between sailing on a lake and an ocean.

Table of contents

1) Freshwater vs. Saltwater Sailing

Before going into details, we have to note that sailing is sailing. Although there are differences, the mechanics are almost the same on freshwater and saltwater. The best thing to do is to learn how to adapt to a particular environment. Freshwater and saltwater sailing both offer unique boating adventures. Oceans are generally saltwater while lakes are mostly freshwater bodies. They both present benefits and disadvantages that you should be aware of, particularly when choosing the right location for your sailing adventures.

When sailing on a freshwater lake, you'll not have to worry about corrosion. We all know that salt can cause corrosive damages to your boat and this may lead to several problems that may require regular maintenance on the sailboat. While any type of water is corrosive to some degree, saltwater is generally more corrosive than freshwater. In other words, freshwater lakes may not cause many problems to your boat as compared to the ocean.

Sailing in an ocean means that your sailboat will always be affected by various corrosive elements. Well, saltwater can permeate almost every component of your sailboat. From the canvas cover that is essential in protecting your vital boating equipment to the paint peel, saltwater can cause serious damages to your boat. In short, every metal component of your sailboat like the hose clamp down to the smallest screw is susceptible to corrosive damage.

With that in mind, sailing in an ocean will mean that you're in constant fight against corrosion, especially if you want to keep your sailboat operational and looking good. You'll, therefore, have to carry out regular maintenance on the boat when sailing on an ocean than when sailing on a lake.

2) Differences in Boats

As we've just noted, saltwater is probably the greatest enemy to your boat when sailing on an ocean. Well, salt is so damaging and a boat that's built for a lake may not survive the ocean. If you've sailed on a lake all your life and want to transition to sailing on an ocean, you may have to pay a hefty price if you don't do your due diligence. You'll be in for a horror show if you do not change your maintenance habits and, of course, your anodes.

And because many lifelong lake sailors may want to experience what it feels like to sail on an ocean, it's of great importance to consider how and where you'll be sailing when choosing the right vessel. Generally, boats made for sailing on the ocean are quite different from boats meant for sailing on the lake. It's essential to have a good idea of what type of boat that's required for ocean sailing and lake sailing, as well as how you should maintain the boat. You may be able to get away with a few trips when using a freshwater boat in the ocean but you may have to do more maintenance and system upgrades to ensure that the boat is almost on par with a boat that's designed for the ocean.

While sailing on a lake may pose a few problems to most boats, sailing on an ocean is much worse and requires careful and regular maintenance. In addition to corroding your boat 10 times faster than sailing on a lake, ocean sailing is rougher and requires a sailboat that's designed with a hull that can perfectly withstand the more intense conditions of the ocean.

Here are some differences when choosing a perfect sailboat for the lake and the ocean.

Hull Design

Your sailing location largely depends on the hull design of your boat. A perfect sailboat for a lake should have a hull designed to work well in relatively small waves and close to the shores. That being said, the best hull design for sailing on a lake is a flat-bottomed hull. This type of hull is perfect for tournament waterski boats and high-performance boats that can easily and perfectly skim across the smooth water bodies such as lakes and rivers while achieving maximum speed.

On the other hand, deep-V hulls are wedge-shaped from bow to stern and are ideal for providing the smoothest ride even in the roughest waters. This is because the deep-V design helps it cut through the waves instead of pounding the waters. This design is not only popular for offshore sailing but also offers better boating qualities. This design requires more power and may not be perfect for shallow waters.

Engine Cooling

Sailboats that are specifically designed for sailing in the ocean must have cooling systems. This is to help in protecting the boat's engine (in case it has one) from the corrosive damages that may be caused by saltwater. Such boats should also have properly-working automatic flushing systems that can eradicate the need to manually flush the boat's engine after use.

Differently, vessels that are designed for sailing on the lake may not have cooling systems or flushing capabilities, and so you may have to personally flush the system after using the boat. With this in mind, you should tread carefully if you want to take your freshwater vessel to the ocean for the first time. The best thing to do is to make a slow start and see whether or not the boat is capable of handling large swells and waves before venturing out even further.

Corrosion Resistance

For obvious reasons, ocean sailing boats are generally designed to better handle corrosion than lake sailing boats. While freshwater boats are designed using magnesium anodes, saltwater boats are designed either with zinc or aluminum anodes. Again, you will always have to flush your sailboat's outboard motor with fresh water as soon as you get back to the dock if you're sailing on the ocean and don't have an automatic flushing system.

Hull Fouling

Saltwater boats are generally more likely to suffer the growth of marine life on the hull. For example, barnacles and algae may build up on the hull and this can damage the hull, thereby slowing down the boat. You may also have to spend more on maintaining the hull and in removing such marine life from the boat's hull.

Cathode System

One of the best ways of protecting your boat's engine from galvanic corrosion is by installing cathode protection to run electrical currents through the engine. While this is of great importance in saltwater boats, you can give it a pass if you'll be entirely sailing on a lake.

3) Weather Conditions

One of the greatest concerns for any sailor is being caught in a situation where his/her sailboat may be rolled or knocked down by the waves. That's why it's always advisable to check the weather conditions and wind speeds when planning for a sailing trip. After all, the handling characteristics of a sailboat may be affected by the winds and currents.

In terms of weather conditions, sailing on a lake offers more quiet and peaceful adventures than sailing on the ocean. You won't have to worry about the weather the same you would if you are going sailing on the ocean. Well, the ocean is known to bring large wind patterns and strong tidal currents that can make ocean sailing unique and quite challenging. Imagine having to deal with huge storm patterns, large wind waves, and being offshore and far away from the support station. This is not only an intimidating prospect but you'll be frightened by the thought that you might be caught in the middle of a devastating hurricane or tsunami.

In short, the types of waves that you'll have to deal with in a lake may not be as big as the enormous waves that you might face in the ocean. While you may encounter some storms while sailing in a lake, they may not be as frightening and powerful as the ones you'll face in the ocean.

4) Maneuvering the Boat

Many sailors might argue that sailing in an ocean is quite similar to sailing in a lake. However, a few things may make the difference and one of them is how you maneuver your boat. Staying on your course and maneuvering in close quarters may be a lot easier and straightforward when sailing on a lake. This is because the waves are generally small and calm.

On the contrary, things may be quite different when sailing on an ocean since dealing with stiff crosscurrents and crosswind is a lot harder. This will require you to head into the waves at a slight angle and reduced speed, especially when the ocean waves are large and there are high winds. Needless to say, navigating the ocean winds and waves require more experience and skill than navigating the mild winds and calm waves of a lake. All in all, you have to maintain control of the sailboat, trim the sails accordingly, and avoid falling off a wave.

Again, you have to keep in mind that the large ocean waves that are generally caused by distant storms are more challenging than the swells that you may encounter when sailing on a lake. The surfaces of these swells are typically calm and cannot be compared to the huge currents that are the norm in the ocean. So whether you choose to sail on a lake or an ocean, tides have a major impact on your sailing experience.

Keep in mind that sailing is always better on the ocean than on a lake since there's enough wind to propel the boat. Again, saltwater doesn't freeze easily as compared to freshwater and this allows you to sail throughout even during winter.

5) Safety Concerns

Safety is, without a doubt, one of your main priorities when sailing. But even with that, sailing in an ocean presents a lot of safety concerns than when sailing on a lake. It's a lot easier to be found and rescued should anything happen when sailing on a lake but things can be more complicated if there's a mishap when sailing on an ocean.

In addition to the huge waves and the unpredictable storms that you're likely to encounter when sailing on the ocean, the open ocean is vast so finding you will not be that easy should you get lost. You may lose your course and the huge ocean waves and winds can take your sailboat miles away from where it was expected. So even if your friends and relatives know your sailing route beforehand, things can still get awful in a matter of minutes.

On the other hand, some lakes are small enough that you can swim to the shore should anything happen. This may, however, not be the case in some Great Lakes in North America as they're very large and it may be impossible to swim to the shore, especially if you're deep into the lake. Nevertheless, the probability of getting help is a lot higher in a lake than in an ocean.

That's not all; the ocean is home to some of the biggest and most dangerous animals in the world. Imagine coming across a shark, a whale, or those gigantic octopuses. Well, these are just a few water creatures that can pose a threat to your life. Some of them such as the sharks and whales can easily overturn your sailboat or even leave you in a very scary situation.

Fortunately, such threats are not available in lakes. This doesn't mean that you may not encounter animals such as hippos in a lake but they're quite rare and this makes sailing on a lake a lot safer than sailing on an ocean. Remember, an ocean is one of those few places in the universe where you can go for hundreds of miles without catching the sight of another sailor. For this reason, you'll always be on your own when you go sailing on the ocean. Worst still, weather reports, cell signals, and rescue teams may be a long shot if you sail too far.

As we noted earlier, ocean tides are also a unique feature of sailing on the ocean. It can make mooring complicated if you aren't properly conversant with the tidal exchange and they can catch you unawares with issues such as running aground, which can leave you in a very precarious situation. Again, it's impossible to drink saltwater. So if you run out of drinking water while sailing on the ocean, you may easily become dehydrated. On the other hand, you can drink lake water should you run out of water. It may not be the cleanest water to drink but unlike the saltwater, it will not affect your health.

Even though the size of the boat may not be a great factor when looking at the differences between sailing on a lake and an ocean, it can still be a vital thing to consider. A small sailboat can perfectly handle a lake but it can be a huge problem when sailing on an ocean. On the contrary, a huge sailboat may not be perfect for sailing on a shallow lake as you can risk running aground and even damaging your sailboat. In essence, the size of your sailboat can restrict you to certain water bodies.

In terms of navigation and technology, boats that are meant for sailing on a lake have a less complicated system, equipment, and operational requirements. On the other hand, sailboats that are meant for sailing on the ocean may require advanced navigational systems and technology.

Bottom Line

Sailing is a great and enjoyable activity on both the ocean and lake. No matter your sailing style, these water bodies are excellent if you want to spend a day, a weekend, or even months sailing. Like anything else, sailing in these water bodies have their advantages and disadvantages, so it's advisable to try sailing in both and find which works best for you. Remember, sailing on the ocean isn't far from sailing on a lake. If anything, it may come down to personal preferences.

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After 40-year wait, Athletic finally set sail on the gabarra

Rodrigo Faez details Athletic Club's Copa del Rey celebrations from a boat on the city's Nervion river.  (1:17)

BILBAO, Spain -- "We had ten commandments in the dressing room and one was: don't mention the gabarra ," Nico Williams said when at long, long last they could after winning the final of the Copa del Rey ( stream a replay on ESPN+, U.S. only ). "If you did, you had to cross yourself, confess to Jesus Christ. The gabarra was the unnamable." It was, but now they have seen it. Hundreds and hundreds of thousands of them with their own eyes. A million or more, the mayor said. And it was real.

A gabarra is a barge, that's all.

But it is not all. In Bilbao, it is not just a barge. It is the barge, something almost mystical, a legend passed on through the generations, all those stories told; always there but not there at all, all their hopes and dreams contained within, and all of their fears.

The gabarra: a word immediately understood with a single mention, conjuring up countless images and emotions, the invocation of everything they are and aspire to be, their identity, their idiosyncrasy. Unique. Just say it and you knew, nostalgia clinging to every letter, longing too.

Especially longing.

Go into a bar in Bilbao, almost any bar, in the narrow streets of the old town or along Pozas, that long, straight road that is not so much a road as a portal, carrying you through the red-and-white flags to San Mames, the football ground they call the Cathedral: a place of worship but above all of community, tradition and liturgy. On the walls there, chances are you will see a picture of gabarra. In a frame or cut from the paper, mostly in black and white, they date from 1984, when Athletic Club celebrated winning the league by traveling up the estuary, along the river Nervion from Getxo to the heart of the city on a gabarra.

They are wild, chaotic pictures, unlike anything else, a barge instead of a bus. On the water either side of the gabarra there are boats everywhere -- tugboats, rowboats, dinghies, anything they could find -- and the banks of the river are packed with people, red and white everywhere, felt even in the monotone images. More than a million people were out, they said.

The barge had been built in 1960 by the Celaya shipyard. A functional means of transporting heavy loads up the estuary, essentially a floating platform, 18½ meters long and 8½ meters wide, pulled by a tug boat, it was given the functional name Gabarra No. 1. With time it came to be known as Athletic's barge.

❤️ 𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗤𝗨𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 #UniqueInTheWorld 🏆 #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/qu2I1s6qRP — Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) April 11, 2024

The idea of celebrating success by taking it up the river had come from a director named Cecilio Guerricabeitia. This was not a tradition, not really, but the inspiration went back a long way: to 1925 and Acero Club de Olabeaga, a team from the shipyards by the river and winners of the local championship, and to a song about a barge going down the Nervion, rumba la, rumba la. When Athletic boarded the gabarra in 1984, it was actually only the second time they had ever done so, after the previous season. It was also the last.

It had only travelled twice with them on board. The tradition of the gabarra, if it could be called that, was more about popular imagination, the impact from that day, the images that survived and the stories that were told, than a ritual oft-repeated. But that became something to aspire to, to do again, an act of affirmation; and with time, in its ever increasing absence, it became even deeper, somehow more imbedded.

Athletic are a unique club, famously following a policy of playing only with Basque players. In a post-Bosman world, that is even more remarkable, like something from another era, an act of grand defiance, resistance, a refusal to let go of who they are. One of only three clubs to have spent their entire history in the first division, Athletic had won 24 cups by 1984. They did not win another until Saturday in Seville, 40 years later.

The story goes back to the 1950s when Athletic won the cup often; captain Piru Gainza once collected the trophy and said, "See you next year, then," but those were different times. Even the 1980s are, and an entire generation had gone by without them winning anything. Not one Athletic player was alive the last time they won a major trophy; even the sporting director wasn't. Many had passed, lost forever. As for the gabarra, it was removed from service in 2013, and placed in a museum near San Mames, a piece of history.

As centre-back Dani Vivian insisted, that didn't mean that nothing had been written in the meantime. Rafa Alkorta, the club's former central defender and sporting director, rightly insisted: what this generation has done is wonderful. The Basque Country accounts for less than 5% of the Spanish population: a team from a pool that small, where the depth of identification is unlike anywhere else, had reached five finals this century, which is a huge achievement. But they had not been back on the barge, and "gabarra" had come to be shorthand for everything, not being able to emulate those scenes from 1984 to which everyone clung.

WOW. Bilbao is ready for La Gabarra! @sidlowe @Athletic_en pic.twitter.com/vgWZ3Ax6Wh — The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) April 11, 2024

Kids listened to parents, even grandparents, talk about that day. Managers came and went, as did hundreds of players, but nothing happened. They reached final after final -- 2009, 2012, 2015, 2020, 2021 -- and it still didn't happen. The wait was, well, a weight. The pressure had built; those stories from '84 got further away and yet somehow ever closer, more present. They so wanted to have their own gabarra , but it had become almost like a ghost ship, a curse. Every time they got to the final, it came up again -- the sports paper Marca this week calculated 780 articles mentioning the gabarra -- and in most years preparations were made for it to sail again, just in case.

It became something best not mentioned, a commandment. And then in Seville, at last, Athletic beat Mallorca 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw and it all came pouring out. Coach Ernesto Valverde has won 11 trophies, but he said: "Nothing compares to this: because of how hard it has been, because of the finals we lost, because of what the cup means to us, who we are." Because of the gabarra.

In the buildup to the final, one Bilbao paper had put the gabarra on the front page every day for a week: with each new edition, it came a little closer. On the morning final, the headline said simply: "To dream." Now, that night it was here. They had done it, the release intense. "At last," the front page said this time.

Everyone knew what this meant. Immediately, the gabarra was everywhere, as if winning the cup was not about winning the cup, or at least not only, but about getting the chance to sail up the Nervion. About everything that encapsulates Athletic and why it is different. About being able to honour a tradition, follow it, at the club that most honours tradition.

Nico Williams dared mentioned it now, the spell broken. "You have no idea how much this weighed on us," captain Iker Muniain admitted. Imagine the pressure of the penalties. Now they had been liberated; time to take the barge out.

"I'm looking forward to experiencing what they have told us so much about," Nico Williams said. All evening in Seville and Bilbao and everywhere, as celebrations went on, the talk was of the barge. Get the gabarra out, we're bringing it home. One message from inside the dressing room: "You've got to come and see the gabarra."

"It's been a long time, I hope it still floats," goalkeeper Unai Simón joked.

Two days later, for the first time in 11 years, a crane lifted the barge onto the river, preparing it to sail. It took eight minutes to lower it onto the water, and tests followed. There were celebrations in Bilbao, impromptu street parties -- four Athletic players even got fined for an unauthorised gathering, setting up an improvised outdoor disco -- that went on all night. But that was a prelude. To this, to this thing that had become their everything, that they had heard so much about.

Javier Clemente, the coach of the 1984 team, insisted that the current players had no idea just what was waiting for them.

The date was set: the afternoon of Thursday, April 11. This was going to be huge, built up so much that somehow you thought it could never live up to its billing, but you would be wrong. From schools and kids' football clubs, letters were sent home, classes were cancelled so that everyone could enjoy this, live it, even if just once. Forget coming into work. It might not be back in a hurry. The whole of Bilbao was off. From around the country, people arrived in the Basque Country: this was the party of a lifetime and they weren't going to miss it.

The gabarra set sail, if you can call it that, from Getxo at 4:30 p.m. It was dragged by a tugboat, and a blue portaloo had been placed at the back. The players leapt about, although none leapt into the water: there was a €60,000 fine for anyone that dared. Midfielder Unai Gómez kept crying. On board, Valverde took out his compact camera. Among the many astonishing photos of an extraordinary day, those are the ones you'll want to see.

Around 160 boats accompanied them up the river, 38 rowboats too, oars easing them through the water. One boat was captained by Iñigo Martínez , the Barcelona centre-back and a former Athletic player. They travelled 13 kilometers along the river, past factories and offices, schools and universities. From the windows of the hospital, patients watched. Every inch of the route was packed, every space taken hours in advance, the place smelling of sulphur from flares. The kalimotxo (a Spanish cocktail) came in huge quantities. People occupied bridges and trees and traffic lights. By the factories, workers came to wave, high up cranes.

Every balcony was taken: squashed, standing room only, everyone you have ever met and many you have not invited round. In every direction there were people, red-and-white stripes. If there had been a million out in 1984, there were surely more now. "We saw so, so many people. I don't think we're really aware of what we have done," Simón said. "Maybe in the future we will be." Maybe if 40 more years pass.

"We have waited a long time for this," said Dani, the captain of the 1984 side. He and his teammates travelled alongside on another boat. The club's legendary goalkeeper Iribar, 81 now, was with the current team -- there were more songs for him than anyone else. " Iribar es cojonudo, como Iribar no hay ninguno ": "Iribar is the business, there's no one like Iribar." A cup winner in 1969 and 1973, he wore a replica of a beret made for the 1958 final. "This is amazing," he said.

Time has passed, and they marked it. The Athletic players had been given red-and-white shirts -- actual shirts, not football shirts -- emulating those prepared last minute by a local tailor and worn by the team in 1984. One man wore the actual shirt from 1984: Valverde's assistant coach Jon Aspiazu was a player then and had kept it. Under his shirt, Muniain wore a T-shirt with the logo of the club's centenary on it, a quarter of a century later, although it wasn't long before he wasn't wearing any shirt at all. After the final, Iñaki Williams had worn the Athletic shirt of his childhood, a Kappa classic. History is there to be made, but also recognized.

The sun shone, everything brilliant in the light, except when it was engulfed in smoke, a day spent in glorious technicolor. Time has passed for sure: it's not just the fact that the photos are not in black-and-white now; the city looks different, is different; the whole region is, many of the shipyards and forges giving way. Nothing shone, nothing marked the passage of time like the smooth, silver sides of the Guggenheim museum. When the gabarra passed by San Mames, it paused. The players threw red-and-white flowers into the water, in memory of those who had not made it. As it went past the neighbourhood of Olabeaga, the entire side of a building had a single word written on it: "dream."

😍 Incredible images from Bizkaia bridge! #UniqueInTheWorld 🏆 #AthleticClub 🦁 pic.twitter.com/qtwktgWncd — Athletic Club (@Athletic_en) April 11, 2024

"This is the nearest thing to heaven," full-back Óscar de Marcos insisted. He and Muniain had been in all those lost finals, and they shared this with those who had been there with them but are gone now. "This is the dream of our entire lives, bloody hell: our grandparents and parents told us about this," Simón said. "I'm still pinching myself," Iñaki Williams insisted. Ander Herrera has won things before -- along with Raúl García , the only Athletic player who has -- but this, he said, was incomparable to anything. Well, almost anything: there was 1984.

"Those who thought we were exaggerating about the gabarra can see it now," said Clemente, the coach on board the barge that day.

Eventually, they clambered off and up the stairs at the side of the river and made their way through the crowd to the city hall. A barrier briefly fell to the ground, Valverde and Muniain rushing to attend, no harm done. And there, from the balcony, they sang and sang and sang, the captain who lost four finals now a champion leading the kind of crowd no one had ever seen. History makers, one and all.

See you next year, the mayor said, and some dared think he might be right, no fear naming the unnamable now as the bus pulled out and went through the streets with the Copa del Rey on board. Fans with fireworks accompanied them along the route, by road this time. "See? Told you it would be madness," one said, getting off the bus and heading into the council building, where the authorities waited. He was right, you did have to come to see the gabarra. Bars filled, no one expected home until morning, and songs were sung.

A barge went down the Nervion, rumba la, rumba la.

"This is the most fascinating club on earth," Valverde said, "and when it comes to celebrating, it is the best."

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