First time's the charm

  • Thread starter SailboatOwners.com
  • Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
A

Allan Timms

Sink or sail !!! Learn on a Laser.

I learned to sail on a Hobie Cat 14'. Cats are a great way to enjoy sailing, but not easy to learn on. After high school I competed in the Hobie 16' and 18'classes and took a job as a sailing instructor to pay the bills. Students taking the laser class of sailing instruction walked away with a far better sailing ability than the El Toro, Capri,(Lido with a keel)Hobies or any other boats.
 
D

Doug Jones

First Boat

My first was a Chrysler Pirateer on a trailer. Excellent double Mono Hull. You cant turn them over. I then went to a 20 Chrysler, a 25 Pacific Seacraft ( swing Keel) and now enjoy my Hunter 28. Yes I sail in the snow.
 
B

Bruce Gant

First boats

My first boat was an 11' Snark (dubbed the "Snarkasaurus" by the family). we carried inside my van. I think the best boat to learn on would be a daysailer like my 17' Star (just like an O'day) . I just sold that one and moved to a MacGregor 21'. Very easy to sail and trailer.
 
D

Don

Started with a Morgan 30

I learned to sail on my brothers Morgan 30/2. He then bought a bigger boat and I then bought his - The boat was big fast and fun - much the same size and shape as my Cat 30. I had a lot of fun making all the normal rookie mistakes on the boat.
 
D

David Augustine

O'day 23

I just bought my first about three months ago - an O'day 23, and I'm learning on it, prior to this I'd never even been on a sailboat, just always knew I wanted one. It needed some fairly minor work, so I bought some books and started learning repair and maintenance along with sailing. Maybe too soon to tell, but so far I think it's perfect!!
 
S

Sandy

16'Jetwind, 21' Victory, Hobie 13', Starwind 15'

My first was a 16' Sears Jetwind. It sat in the garage 4 years until we slid her into the back of the van one day. I took her to a small lake in town and three people taught me how to sail her. It was awesome. Then bought a trailer! I sailed her alone many times. But, two crew is best. For the complete novice, I think a smaller boat is best at first. Sailing a small boat on a small lake taught me the fundamentals, and kept me in good learning conditions ... a good place to start! Plus, you can't always find crew when you'd like to go! I've been on the 21' Hobies, but they can flip easliy, unless you have a ton of crew! And righting them is a pain. I like the 13' Hobies, if you have three people on board. Gotta have the weight! Or light airs! I'd take a 13' over a 21' anyday! I have taken the ASA basic course on the ocean, with the 21' J class, and Victories, and have rented them, and taught others the basics. That's a kick! They are great for ocean bays. Farthest I've gone out to sea is three miles. The swells here preclude my wanting to go farther out without a radio, motor, and other gear! My current boat is a 15' Starwind, just picked her up. She's sweet, but, takes two sailors due to running the jib lines. Very responsive. May someday sail her alone, but that will take practice! Would love to crew on a larger boat though, just to learn the thing!
 
M

Mark Galbraith

First boat was a Mac26X

My first boat was a 26X. I have found the boat to be very forgiving, and an easy boat to learn on. The ability to motor out of trouble is a definite plus.
 
J

Jean Gosse

That first sail

The first boat I owned was a 9' sailing dinghy designed by Ed Monk Sr. Beautiful boat, well balanced, just right for learning to sail. Better yet, was crewing on an International 14. A thorobred. Frostbiting teaches respect for weather conditions, encourages keeping the boat right side up. My second boat, and only keel boat,was a Star. Racing and maintaining such a glorious boat was a joy and an education. From there, came a Lightning, Penguin, El Toro, Snipe, Pelican, San Juan 21, and MacGregor 26D. All centerboarders, all chosen for traditional good manners, sportiness, and, except for the Mac, because they had strong local fleets. For the beginner I advocate the El Toro. For the family, you can't beat a Lightning. For cruising, charter.
 
B

BILL ROBB

MAYFLOWER???

Oh my gosh! I haven't thought of that old "first boat" of mine in years! It was a strange beast called a Mayflower (anybody else out there have one?)It had a Lateen rig, although you could get a Wildflower with a sloop rig. Plastic - and shaped like a rowboat (a punt, really) with a daggerboard, a built-in cooler, and you could car-top the thing. Well, it was fun. Then it was up through an Interlake, Hobie cat, Super Porpoise, Laser, Sunfish, and finally into cruising auxilliaries: an O'DAY 25, and now a 30. Lots of fun along the way!
 
D

Dunvegan

on our first boat now.......

we bought our first boat about 3 months ago....a catalina 25-tall rig.....we have 2 small children and so far it has proven to be the perfect first boat for us. it is very forgiving yet very responsive and fast....at least the previous owners have assured us they never lost a race in the 10 years they owned it. we haven't done any racing but we think it is pretty fast. we have only done one over nighter but hope to do more now that fall is upon us here on the est coast.
 
J

Juan Manigault

Catalina 30 is first boat

Never sailed before, but decided our family needed a new adventure. We took boat safety classes and an ASA Keelboat certification class with our 81 Catalina 30. We got a good deal and actually sailed the boat several times before taking the sailing class. It was exhilirating. My oldest son is first mate. My wife loves the boat and enjoys sailing it. I crew. Regards, Juan
 
T

Tom S.

OPB's, lessons on a Laser, then got 27' Watkins

OPB = Others peoples Boats. When I bought my first boat in 1992 (a 1980 27' Watkins). I knew a thing or two about sailing and taken Red Cross, Navigation, etc basic sailing lessons (on Lasers) and had been on bigger boats "OPB's" (other peoples boats) a few times previously (mostly enjoying the ride, but steering once in a while). But thats it. This was the early and later 1980's. I had NEVER been alone on a boat that big (27 footer), let alone on a big boat cruising anywhere alone. Let alone what I was going to do on my first day with my new boat. But my FIRST day with my boat, I took my new (to me) boat out of Port Washington NY ALONE and brought it down around Long Island Sound....... through Hells Gate.......through the East River.......through The Lower NY Bay under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge......Through the Raritan Bay.......and anchored behind Sandy Hook for the evening. (boy was I tired!!) All without GPS, all without any autopilot, all without Radar, all without electronic charts nor LORAN.....all with out anything or anybody, but a compass, paper charts and myself (and a wheel brake.....thank goodness I had that) Don't know if its the best way to learn the finer aspects of sailing and sail trim, but it sure accelerated my seamanship skills tremendously. They Watkins did not have as much feedback and sailing finesse (it was forgivening and slower than most boats). But it was a solid, stable, trustworthy boat. I have heard the Colgate 26 is a great boat to learn on.
 
T

Tim Long

Sunfish got me hooked!

The first day I was confident enough to sail the family sunfish out of Bass River and into the big ocean, I spent 3 of the most enjoyable hours of my life. I was hooked, bought my own, then up to a 16' daysailer/racer,and now just purchased a Columbia 24.
 
M

Matt

1948 Bluebird Atkins Wooden Sailboat

My first is a Wooden Sailboat and I still have it...., I believe to go small and work your way up to bigger and better and wetter. Had a Rhodes 19ft, Irwin 23ft, a Bristal 27, and a Columbia 32... I still love that Wooden boat best.
 
P

Peter Milne

Wow! Am I in the Minority

Only 3% of the respondants' first sail boat was 40 feet or longer! When we bought our first boat (a Hunter 430) almost six years ago I didn't know Port from Starboard. A lot of water has passed under the keel (almost 10,000 nm)and I have learned much about sailing and I realize I have much more to learn. What I didn't reckon on when I bought the boat is how much I would also have to learn about: holding tanks, macerators, impellors, fuel filters, bottom paint, zincs, 12 volt electrical systems and batteries, generators, GPS, radar, water pumps, stuffing boxes, etc. etc. The Hunter Owner web site has been a very valuable resource! It has been a real adventure (but no mishaps to date, touch wood)exploring the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Next year will be our first big trip - 800 miles around Vancouver Island. The following year we hope to spend the summer cruising the Queen Charlotte Islands.
 
S

SailboatOwners.com

Final results

Final results for the Quick Quiz ending September 15, 2003: How big was your first sailboat? 45% Less than 20'  41% 20' to 29'  12% 30' to 39'  02% 40' or bigger 1,866 owners responding
 
T

Tony

Old Faithful

My first boat was a 21' Victory that I picked up for $1,000 in a rather shabby condition. Some elbow grease and a few bucks got her presentable and seaworthy. I called her "Eponine" after the waif in "Les Miserables" that stole our hearts with the "All Alone" song. She gave me six years of great sailing. I put a 4HP motor on her and built a trailer for $500. Then I got a great deal on a 25' so I sold her for $2000 and she went to Lake Tahoe. Still think of her fondly in spite of her adding a new dimension to leeway (Probably more my doing than hers if the truth were known).
 
R

R Howard

My First Boat Ericson 26

I always wanted to learn to sail. I moved here 2 years ago and feel in love with the area and the outdoors activities. I was having a casual conversation with a guy in a bar. I mentioned that I would love to learn to sail,he gave me some info and I thought it would never happen. I went to work the next day and mentioned to a fellow employee about my desire to learn to sail. He asked are you serious? I said yes! He told me that he had recently purchased a sailboat and that he now owned two. He said that his old boat was for sale. We made a deal I have been sailing since. I love it, I got started 4 months ago. I've taken lessons and will soon be taking more. This is the most fun I've had in a very long time.
 
R

Raphael Kail

Over She Goes

My first boat, and current one is a Phantom. The fellow who sold me the boat, took me out on a Laser for lessons. The first lesson was how to right the boat when it turtle's. With no warning, over she went. He skedaddled over the hull and stayed dry. I went in! That was twenty four years ago. Now I'm looking for a Macgregor 26.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top Bottom