First time's the charm

[Dan Phillips]

19 O'Day

First Boat 19' O'Day then 23', 27'catalina, 34'Catalina and now C400 . Sometimes I wonder if the larger boats are getting away from what sailing is meant to be. I feel like I am sailing a house around with me

 

[Steav]

11' of Moth

How embarassing... but... She was an 11' Moth, homemade, wood, beautious to someone who knew precisely nothing (nada, nil, zilch) about sailing.We (my father, who was as astute about sailing as I) thoroughly rigged her wrong (if a jib requires 2 sheets, then it follows that a main does, also...) and knew nothing about the physics of going UPwind (what a concept) and waited for a nice breeze (it was circa 30 kts when we thought it was finally adequate) and set off mostly DOWNwind in search of the perfect Chinese Gybe...We found it at the end of the bay which, as 30 kts of zephyr would have it, was fast approaching and we discussed the theories of how one might go about "coming about". The discussion took more time than we actually had available.We knew the term... we were aware of the concept... we had no clue as to the proceedure except that one probably pushed on the handle thingy to change directions accordingly.We did. She turned... she broached and pitchpoled and turtled and hurtled us out and (after the initial panic of seeing my 65 yr old father flying over the mast, through the rigging and into the main which was by then submersed in the water) we clung to the hull (I terrified, dad laughing) and proceeded to swim the accumulation of jetsam toward shore where we turned her over, bailed her out, pointed her back to our starting point, set the gizmoz for a sure fire flight home, reboarded and proceeded UPwind(ish).Brakes. There are none, oddly enough, on a sailboat. We arrived at the other end of the bay and continued directly up an onto the beach which was sand, prooving that there IS a god, and spent the next two weeks stealthily looking at other people's sailing techniques through our binoculars.One mainsheet...Who knew?Steav Congdon, skipper: The Anna CrusisP.S. We did far better 15 years later on our sail from Oswego NY thru the Bahamas and back on our Catalina 30...

 

[Ed]

Geometry class daydream

My first sailboat was a 10 footer sketched up during boring geometry but based on an earlier Popular Science jon boat. Built using 1/4" plywood, this one had a small curved deck, electrical conduit mask, plastic sail and shower curtin sail hanks. Sailed it downwind all across the lake the first time and my father had to come pick me up at the far end. But it taught me the basics of sailing!

 

[Anthony]

Snark

The first sailboat we owned was a handed down Snark. Took it on vacations and used it at home till we wore it out. Then came the 19' Rhodes, and the 26' Macgregor, a couple of WindGliders for the boys. They're starting to ask about another snark though. Small Boats = Big Fun!

 

[Paul G]

Back Again

I had been brought up lake sailing. I got into sailing via my parents starting on a 14’ O'Day at age 10, took lessons at the local center, raced on a friends 18' National 1 design and another’s 21' J Boat. You know what they say, "small boat sailors make great large boat sailors". My parents’ finally ended up with a 31' Bombay Clipper on Narragansett Bay and here the story ends for almost 20 years! College, work, and family became my priorities, but now the family’s grown and out, I run the business, and my wife decided she wanted to start going to the beech. 4 trips to the ocean was all it took. It was like someone injected salt water directly into my veins! I had to get back into sailing. I knew I wanted something stable that we could spend the weekends on and so, for my 1st boat I ended up buying a 1982 34’ O’Day in great condition! That was just over 2 weeks ago. It was like being away from speaking a 2nd language and came back much faster than I ever imagined.

 

[Bob Barr]

ZOOM 1

My first sailboat was constructed from an 8 foot sheet of used corrgated roofing metal. Of course we had to patch several nail holes to insure water tightness.The "boat" had a pointed end (Bow) rapped around a section of old 2 X 4 and a transom from a soda box. For stability we installed an outrigger that also provided support for a broom stick mast which supported a bed sheet. To improve the appearance the hull was painted dark brown and the name "ZOOM 1" was places on each side of the bow. At the age of 8 my younger brother and I frequently took turns single handing the boat in the waters of Lake Worth at West Palm Beach, Fla.

 

[Michael Pena]

How Big?

My first sailboat was a Columbia 24, the buble top cabin model. I had that boat on a mooring off Santa Barbara. What a wonderful place. And what a vessel to learn on. The price was right...free and a lot of sweat equity.M

 

[Bill Lowe]

Demon

My first boat was a race eqipped 14.5' Demon. It had all the bells and whistles you could fit on a boat that size (roller furling, spinnaker, trapeze , etc.) and was very "tender". The slightest mistake and you were swimming. Needless to say, as a first time sailor, I swam alot.Great to learn on though because once you got competent in that boat, every thing else on the water was apiece of cake.

 

[Ron Hankins]

Start small, get bigger

I started in a Sabot, an 8' dingy. Every boat has been larger since, (15 1/2 Snipe, 25 Capri, and now a Catalina 30. Wonder whats next...

 

[John Vining]

eight feet

My first boat was an eight foot optimist pram.I was 7years old and raced in a little opti fleet at the Grand Rapids Yacht Club. I crewed on a snipe when I was a little older and sailed at our summer home on Neebish Island aboard my dad's 20 ft Swampscott Dory "Robidoux". (the photo included was taken around 1958, I am second from the right.) In 1976 the now 72 year old robidoux could not answer another call to port and we replaced her with a Cape Dory 25. My parents sailed her for 10 years and I got to enjoy her when I had a break from my opera career. we had a 22 ft daysailer, before my dad retired from sailing. I had a Butterfly which was not big enough for my family so I sold it and bought a Renkin 18 which was very cute but not big enough. sold it for a Catalina 22 which I sailed for 6 years and finally moved up to the C25 which I am completely happy with.

 

[G.F.Kellor]

Hooked on the wind.

Many years ago while canoeing down a long lake in No. Minn. I thought, 'why not let the wind do the work'. So I went ashore and found a couple of straight tree limbs and tied one to the bow thwart and my old army poncho to the other and tied that to the top of the vertical pole... looked rather like a primative viking ship. Pushed off, and away I went with no effort other than using the paddle for a rudder...I was hooked on the wind. I then fabricated a lateen sail system to that same canoe, with two long leeboards and a motormount with oarlock and oar for a rudder... Now I could tack and jibe! Moved to Calif and took canoe with and sailed it in the Pacific and in Morro Bay....isn't ignorance BLISS??After marriage, children and grandchildren, I found a 1966 14' O'day Javelin sitting in the mud at a local marina. Rescued it and spent a winter restoring and getting aquainted with it. An excellent boat to learn real sailing with. Plenty of room for crew and/or passengers. Now have a 12' Hobie Holder monohull.. easy to handle, seat of your pants sailing and easy to right when tipped over.Recently converted my 11'9" Old Towne 'Discovery' canoe to sail. With a lateen sail, outrigger pontoons, swing up leeboard and conventional rudder system. Sitting on the gunnwale most of the time with that....more great fun!If you can access the web page below there is a step by step account of the conversion.

 

[Jose Siqueira]

Learning boat.

I started on a Cape Dory 22', great little boat, did some overnight trips offshore and felt very safe. Had to move to Mississippi, far from the Ocean and someone made me an offer on the CD 22',I sold it. Two years ago I was transfer to Atlanta and bought a Southern Cross 31'. Made a trip to the Bahamas in June/July and loved the place and the boat. The weather wasn't so great, I got into or close to afternoon tunder storms everyday !!! Next year I will go in April or May. Cheers ..... Jose Siqueira.

 

[Ron Gagne]

learned big bought small

First learned to sail on a friends 33'Pearson Vanguard for 5 years before deciding to purchase. My first and current boat is a Hunter 235. Small enough to tow anywhere,big enough for 2. No slip fees or bottom paint.

 

[G.F.Kellor]

ie. 'first was purchased sunk'

Norman,You tantalize us. I'd like to hear 'the rest of the story'.gfk102737@webtv.net

 

[Roger P.]

Better to Grow into a Boat Rather Out of One

My first boat was a CAL 29 (in Hawaii). The weather in Hawaii requires a boat that has some staying power. The CAL 29 was a great boat and I miss it so. It handled the regular 12-15 foot seas in the channels and the one-time 22-foot seas for 13 hours (off Kauai). I've seen too many people start small only to sell (at a lost, I might add) in only a couple of years. If you are a serious sailor, decide on what you want to do with the boat (off-shore or in-shore, over-night or one or two week excursions, etc.). Then decide on the boat that you both want and need. The CAL 29 was in bad need of cosmetic work and engine work. It took me nearly 2 years to get it to where it was the prettiest boat in the marina. But after that, it was golden. Before this boat, I had only Captained a Sunfish before then; however, I was a full-pledged sailing instructor through the Charleston Yacht Club and taught big boat sailing even though I had never done it... only taught theory, learned from an excellent instructor. Later on, I crewed on larger boats and finally got my own CAL 29; sailed it with ease, but I learned that I knew nothing as an instructor. If you've never owned a sailboat, then you know nothing about sailing - this is true. It is 90 percent working on it and 10 percent sailing it. Since then, I have chartered and mastered boats up to 50 feet including catamarans (which are very interesting animals to a life-time mono-hull sailor, like myself). In my older years, I have stepped down from the big guys to settle on a Hunter 23 to fix up and do some Chesapeake Bay gunk-holing. It is a sweet, fixed keel boat with a shoal draft (much needed in the Bay). I got it at a steal, but needed a new motor and lots of care. It is coming a long nicely and next summer, my wife and I plan to do some extended sailing to discover the Chesapeake. I've seen Hawaii, Tonga, and the Caribbean. I guess I need to discover my homeland.

 

[Michael Batty]

First sailboat

I was given a 13ft Butterfly, my son and I played with it, however, did not enjoy setting the mast and lowering the mast each time. We sold it and bought a 25ft 19844 MacGregor. We are enjoying this boat, still learning and making lots of mistakes including the docking.

 

[Ralph Winkler]

Grew with experience

Sailing started with a 11" Super Scampy from J. C. Pennies. Soon got tiered of wet butts and bought a 14' Rascal, then a 22' South Coast. Finally got too old for trailering and bought a TMI (Chrysler)30' then moved to Catalina 320 in '99. Greatest boat of them all is the 320.

 

[Mike Frampton]

Penguin's forever

Started on a very old, penguin that I found languishing in a woods. Talk about fix up/restoration projects, But I was looking for something that I could do with the kids as they were growing up. So the first was one of three, that we fixed up and club raced thru the "formative" years. I don't know if it was theirs, or mine, but that is another story. Along the way we had a lot of fun, met lots of great people, and made lasting memories. I regret now, not having started sailing as a kid. Learning to sail is without a doubt in the top five of the greatest things in my life. Just wish that I had the resources to own some sort of "cruising" boat that I could keep over all of the time for a "quickie" when conditions were favorable.

 

[Tom s/v GAIA]

Learned on a Sunfish.

Then got into racing Sunfish. Now we have a 28 Lancer, (and love it). I think a sunfish or other small boat is the only way to learn to sail. There are too many people trying to learn on too big of a boat, causing too many problems.Learn how to sail, then learn big boat handling.BTW---- I still sail the sunfish and race every chance I get!Tom s/v GAIA

 

[lee hunt]

First sailing adventure

my first time sailing was on a 12 foot sun fish. hard to consider this as a boat since the cockpit was just a small hole in the middle that was not big enough for both of us to put our feet into. the day was windy by my definition at 8 years old but we had fun scrambling all over the deck. we almost dunked the boat many times but some how managed to keep the deck as the top all afternoon. the little sail had all kinds of power for us at the time. now i would likely consider that wind and power to be hardly worth picking up the mast. during the rest of the summer we continued to play with the sun fish and got to the point were we thought we were really good sailers. the most important part is we didn't flip the boat and had all kinds of fun getting very wet and bouncing through and accross the waves.