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Bob Hixon has been saling since the age of 15.

by Tony Ricciardelli | photography by Jon Beyerle

Hixon offers sailing lessons through Carefree Boat Club in Cornelius.

People look forward to retirement for varied reasons. Some want to travel, while some want to spend more time with grandchildren. Some retire to pursue long-delayed interests: art, gardening, volunteerism, and outdoor recreation are only a few of the possibilities. For retiree Bob Hixon, a self-proclaimed “Water Baby,” sailing Lake Norman offers a refreshing pastime and the opportunity to share his sailing skills with novice boating enthusiasts. Hixon retired in 2008 from a career in heavy equipment sales. The former Navy Sea Bee learned to sail on the New York’s Finger Lakes at the age of 15. “My dad and I built a 14-foot, wooden Sunfish,” says Hixon. “It was basically a big surfboard with a sail, but it launched my interest in sailing.” Subsequently, Hixon stepped up to a Laser Boat (a one-man dinghy), and then to a Lightening class boat, which is a larger and more stable.

When Hixon retired to Lake Norman, he decided he’d like to sail something bigger, a boat that was a step up in size and rigging; subsequently, he acquired a Catalina 25. In 2021, he took over the training reins from his good friend Joe Czarnecki, who had recently passed away and had been the Carefree Boat Club’s first sailing instructor, a man who Hixon misses a great deal. The responsibility gives Hixon access to the club’s 25’ Catalina, and 28’ Erikson, both “Keel Boats” that are the two boats he uses when instructing sailing trainees. Hixon points out that the club owns 40 boats, including pontoon boats, ski boats, deck boats, and the two sail boats, which club members can access for their Lake Norman adventures.

Hixon explains, “The people I train should have a basic level of experience on a sailboat. I build on that experience, teaching trainees the skills and knowledge they will need to sail safely, including boating safety, lake navigation, reading channel markers, working with wind speed and direction, taking control of the sails and rigging.” Participants must be members of the Carefree Boat Club before they can train with Hixon.

Two years ago, Bob and his partner Ann were one of four couples chartering a 48’ Catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. Each couple had seafaring responsibilities while sailing the islands, including deck duties, rigging duties and galley duties. Hixon states that the trip was a life-fulfilling event, pointing out the differences between lake-sailing and ocean-sailing. “Ocean, waves create a rolling motion, while the wind direction is fairly constant. On a lake, however, especially a crowded lake as crowded as Lake Norman can sometimes be, power boats create waves, which generate ‘chop’ in the water; additionally, the lake’s islands and inlets can change wind’s direction, which requires more attention and skill to navigate.”

Hixon does have a favorite Lake Norman area to sail, and he enjoys an occasional lunch and a swim at one of the lake’s smaller islands. “I prefer sailing in the wider part of the lake,” he notes. “The area adjacent to exit 33 on I-77 is most enjoyable for me. “There, the lake is at its widest, and maneuvering is much easier.”

Joining the Carefree Boat Club and experiencing first-hand the exhilaration and the joy of sailing is a clever way to decide if purchasing a boat is an option, or if there is even a need to purchase a boat. In the Lake Norman area, there are several boat clubs offering lessons, and classes are also available through community boating programs for children and adults, usually offered by local parks and recreation programs, such as the Lake Norman Community Sailing Club at Blythe Landing.

Hixon calls upon all would-be sailors to step up. “Sailing isn’t like driving a car,” he says. “With a sailboat, the journey is as rewarding as the destination. Don’t deny yourself the pleasure of sailing. Sailing is a relaxing and rewarding experience, a sport to enjoy for a lifetime.”

Kilwins Birkdale Village 16926 Birkdale Commons Pkwy. 704-237-4869 BEST OF THE LAKE

HIxon took over teaching sailing lessons after his friend Joe Czarnecki passed away. He put this plaque up in his boat in memorial to his friend.

For more information on club membership and sailing lessons with Bob Hixon, contact Carefree Boat Club at www.CarefreeBoats.com.

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16926 Birkdale Commons Pkwy. Open 7 days a week (704) 237-4869 www.kilwins.com/huntersville

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