What or who would be considered a "Sailor"?

An interesting question that probably has more than one answer or
opinion. I guess you have to have some criteria to make that
determination.

As for me I first started sailing in the summer of 1967 on glacial
lakes on sunfish and wooden sloops and then on GRP Kolibri's and
continued to do so for the following 9 summers. Then I crewed on
Lakes as well as in the Caribbean, pre GPS days.

As with anything you can have an interest or a passion in a particular
subject or endeavor. When you have a passion for something it is
greater than just a (casual) interest. I have an interest in sailing
that led to a passion for knowledge of most things that are apart of
sailing.

I have read many logs by cruisers on the net and can relate to their
experiences through the experiences I have had. Yes there is a
significant difference between day sailing and or dingy sailing and
cruising.

Which include, but not limited to beating to weather in 6-9 foot
waves, making repeated attempts to set an anchor, scouting for coral
heads, trying to make a meal in uncomfortable seas. Seeing nothing
but ocean on a 360 view from the boat.

What is it about sailing that makes it appealing to those who do it?

Well consider what world we would be in if sailing didn't exist. The
development of the world was totally dependent on seafarers. Today
sailing doesn't have a noticeable effect on the world per say.
Sailing can be both boring and exciting, I read somewhere that sailing
is boring with moments of terror.

Is a sailor only someone who has circumnavigated the globe? Or who
can celestially navigate? Or someone who successfully makes it from
one place to another under wind power and cloth?

There is a significant difference between a skipper and crew as well
as owning a boat and just crewing on one.

An interesting term is a "wanna-be sailor", which I would guess is
someone without any experience or knowledge about sailing yet tries to
come across as an authority? Or it could be someone who has an
interest and passion of and for sailing who makes and effort to
understand as many aspects of the sport as possible.

I am grateful of the many sailors, cruisers and the like who have
spent their time and made the effort to share their sailing knowledge
and experiences.

Fair Winds, Mic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailor
Sailor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

A sailor is a member of the crew of a ship or boat. The term may
comprise anyone from an admiral in the navy to a person who goes out
yachting at weekends as a hobby. A sailor is also specifically an
enlisted member of a naval force.

The term can be used even more generally. For example, someone who
suffers from travel sickness may say that he or she is "not a good
sailor".

In the minds of members of the Royal Navy, the term "sailor" refers to
someone who is under sail and not on a vessel with motorised power of
any kind.

In the Merchant Navy the term "sailor" has often been used to
distinguish able seamen, ordinary seamen, and other members of the
deck department from crew members working in other departments, such
as catering and the engine-room.

http://www.brainydictionary.com/word...lor215020.html
One who follows the business of navigating ships or other vessels; one
who understands the practical management of ships; one of the crew of
a vessel; a mariner; a common seaman.


Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition. 1995.

sailor
NOUN: A person engaged in sailing or working on a ship: jack
(uppercase), jack-tar, mariner, navigator, sea dog, seafarer, seaman.
Informal : salt, tar. Slang : gob3. See SEA.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6689_become-crew-member.html
How to Become a Crew Member
Time on a sailboat doesn't always translate to bearing the
responsibility of skipper. Every captain needs a crew.

This is a brief tip and seemingly good advice.;


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http://www.adventureouting.com/TopicLinks/Sailing.html

Sailing: Multihulls-Catamarans and Trimarans
Interesting brief article on the history of these vessels.