I finally got out for my first sail yesterday. My new sails are wonderful. The boat handled great and sailed up wonderfully. However, we did have one close call. I gave the tiller to my wife so I could make a quick trip below. She hadn't quite got the feel of the boat again yet, and when a gust came up she went with instinct and fought the tiller. The result was a 20+ degree heel, a baptised toe rail, and almost tossing the kids in the drink. The boat slammed back upright as the stern came into the wind. Luckily no one got wet except me since I has over the toilet during the adventure. We practiced heading up to control heel after I got the cabin cleaned up, and we taught the kids to sit down in the cockpit floor when they get scared. The harnesses we bought them were well worth the money, and now the wife is convinced that we need them too. All in all it was a good day even if the sun only came out for less than a minute.
first sail of the season
- Thread starter kingprawn
- Start date
- Status
It's all fun
Sounds like an exciting day. I can remember some times like you discribed and think back now to the excitement. I took the wife out on our new(1972 helson22) three years ago for our first sail. The wind was a little strong, whitecaps on our small lake, we got knocked down and the boat started heading up when the tiller broke off in my hand. I grabbed the rudder on top and turned us into the wind, cranked the moter to keep us headed into the wind and told, more like yelled, to the wife "lower the sails". She gave me this look and the responded "HOW?"
Sounds like an exciting day. I can remember some times like you discribed and think back now to the excitement. I took the wife out on our new(1972 helson22) three years ago for our first sail. The wind was a little strong, whitecaps on our small lake, we got knocked down and the boat started heading up when the tiller broke off in my hand. I grabbed the rudder on top and turned us into the wind, cranked the moter to keep us headed into the wind and told, more like yelled, to the wife "lower the sails". She gave me this look and the responded "HOW?"
tender?
Any H22 sailor's out there consider it to be a tender boat? Mine seems to heel right over even in relatively light wind.
Any H22 sailor's out there consider it to be a tender boat? Mine seems to heel right over even in relatively light wind.
Nope
I would not call the Hunter 22 tender at all. All sailboats heel. The other day I was sailing my H22 along side a Catalina 25 Wing Keel and a Hunter 28.5. We all heeled about the same in the puffs. If it's heeling uncomfortably, I reduce sail, or drop to a reach. 20 degrees of heel is not excessive for the H22. I kind of prefer to sail her at between 15 and 20 degrees on a beat.
I would not call the Hunter 22 tender at all. All sailboats heel. The other day I was sailing my H22 along side a Catalina 25 Wing Keel and a Hunter 28.5. We all heeled about the same in the puffs. If it's heeling uncomfortably, I reduce sail, or drop to a reach. 20 degrees of heel is not excessive for the H22. I kind of prefer to sail her at between 15 and 20 degrees on a beat.
Very Interesting
Glad to hear that you got your boat out for the first time. The boat shouldn't be too tinder but you will want to put a reef in when the wind is around 15 knots. I have had mine out in 25 knots of wind (no fun). I am in the middle of my vacation. For the second day straight I am stuck in Chrisfield MD because of nasty weather (don't feel like sailing in strong wind and rain). I plan on leaving tomorrow for Smith Island to break up the hop to Solomin's Island. So Far I have gone to Point Lookout, MD and then to Tangier Island, VA. From Tangier I came into Chrisfield. It has been a descent cruise but I am ready to head out of Chrisfield and get to Solomins Island! Guess that I really can't complain, it is far better than WORKING!!!! This year I added a microwave and this lap top into my boat. The lap top is nice because it gives you a way to keep in touch with the world and pay bills. I would definately list it as one of my better equipment adds to my boat (along with the GPS). I have been seeing some excellent boat speeds out of my boat this year. At times I have been averaging 6 knots (that is with a nice current boost). I have already logged around 80 miles on my boat from the home port! Anyways, thought that I would drop everyone a line. Keep Sailing!
Glad to hear that you got your boat out for the first time. The boat shouldn't be too tinder but you will want to put a reef in when the wind is around 15 knots. I have had mine out in 25 knots of wind (no fun). I am in the middle of my vacation. For the second day straight I am stuck in Chrisfield MD because of nasty weather (don't feel like sailing in strong wind and rain). I plan on leaving tomorrow for Smith Island to break up the hop to Solomin's Island. So Far I have gone to Point Lookout, MD and then to Tangier Island, VA. From Tangier I came into Chrisfield. It has been a descent cruise but I am ready to head out of Chrisfield and get to Solomins Island! Guess that I really can't complain, it is far better than WORKING!!!! This year I added a microwave and this lap top into my boat. The lap top is nice because it gives you a way to keep in touch with the world and pay bills. I would definately list it as one of my better equipment adds to my boat (along with the GPS). I have been seeing some excellent boat speeds out of my boat this year. At times I have been averaging 6 knots (that is with a nice current boost). I have already logged around 80 miles on my boat from the home port! Anyways, thought that I would drop everyone a line. Keep Sailing!
Yee ha
My thoughts on my 1982 22 are: It may be a bit "tender" (this depends on whos sailing it) but stiffens up quickly. I agree with Bad Obsession, you should think about reefing at 15 knots of wind. I sail in Casco Bay, Maine and had mine out in some harry conditions. One day 25 plus knot winds with 5 foot swells- not an easy expirence to handle for the first time, but boat handled it safely. I have had my rail "baptised" a number of times and hit a strong gust that felt like it was ready to push me over, but it quickly pointed upwind as soon as the rudder came out of the water (no reef- hey I was learning!!). My conclusion on the 22 is a boat that is very forgiving and one of the safer daysailers to sail. It will take a very strong gust (and or combination of wind and wave) to knock this boat over and keep it there. If you were almost over in the 22 and didnt feel safe, think about buying a Compac 23 or Dana 24 ($$$$).
My thoughts on my 1982 22 are: It may be a bit "tender" (this depends on whos sailing it) but stiffens up quickly. I agree with Bad Obsession, you should think about reefing at 15 knots of wind. I sail in Casco Bay, Maine and had mine out in some harry conditions. One day 25 plus knot winds with 5 foot swells- not an easy expirence to handle for the first time, but boat handled it safely. I have had my rail "baptised" a number of times and hit a strong gust that felt like it was ready to push me over, but it quickly pointed upwind as soon as the rudder came out of the water (no reef- hey I was learning!!). My conclusion on the 22 is a boat that is very forgiving and one of the safer daysailers to sail. It will take a very strong gust (and or combination of wind and wave) to knock this boat over and keep it there. If you were almost over in the 22 and didnt feel safe, think about buying a Compac 23 or Dana 24 ($$$$).
kind of what I thought
It probably would have seemed much more controlled from the the cockpit rather than the head. The place we were going gets some pretty good winds and I think some current convergence as well. I probably should have watched my wife a little bit more before I left her alone like that, even if it was only for a minute. Here's the light house we were headed to.
It probably would have seemed much more controlled from the the cockpit rather than the head. The place we were going gets some pretty good winds and I think some current convergence as well. I probably should have watched my wife a little bit more before I left her alone like that, even if it was only for a minute. Here's the light house we were headed to.
First Cruise of Year Destination
It was a long time, it seemed to me, getting my wife out on the boat this year but I finally made it but at the end of May. Let's see,... the days start getting shorter in about a month! Some people just complain about the cold and wet. Never mind that she grew up in a much colder place, and one which is known as the ski capital of the world. Well if you live around here cold and wet is a fact of life but even for those with sensitive feelings toward temperature there is a way to entice 'em out. Make that Wagner's European Bakery in Olympia WA, a comfortable two day trip for a shake down cruise. So for two days we had this destination to look forward to. Okay, so we forgot a few things like the connecting wire for the camera and laptop, for example. Just a minor item so we quickly ran out of memory in the camera. Everybody else around here was writing about their trips for the past couple months but even so, for me it was a great first trip of the year, even if it was a tad late.
It was a long time, it seemed to me, getting my wife out on the boat this year but I finally made it but at the end of May. Let's see,... the days start getting shorter in about a month! Some people just complain about the cold and wet. Never mind that she grew up in a much colder place, and one which is known as the ski capital of the world. Well if you live around here cold and wet is a fact of life but even for those with sensitive feelings toward temperature there is a way to entice 'em out. Make that Wagner's European Bakery in Olympia WA, a comfortable two day trip for a shake down cruise. So for two days we had this destination to look forward to. Okay, so we forgot a few things like the connecting wire for the camera and laptop, for example. Just a minor item so we quickly ran out of memory in the camera. Everybody else around here was writing about their trips for the past couple months but even so, for me it was a great first trip of the year, even if it was a tad late.
- Status