First time's the charm

[mrbill]

8' pram / optimist

How long are prams / optimists ? 8' right?learned at age 10, at local sail club in coconut grove. basic plywood construction boat, great for kids, but what a pain to bail out once flipped... still remember teachers running around in the whaler helping right boats at the windward mark. and learning what a difference pulling up the daggerboard a bit does on the down wind leg... when your next to 4 other boats...less is often more. mistakes less forgiving, more immedieate.then a 12' dory, then a hobie 16, then a 13' boardsailer, and now a 26' macgregor.maybe next year at 52 swan...

 

[John]

Sunken O'day 34!!

I bought an insurance salvaged O'day 34 before I ever sailed a boat. I remember looking at a traveler, not knowing then what it was called let alone what it did... My plan was to live on the boat and lear to sail her. In two years I was racing competitivley. After totaly refiting her, I sold the O'day to a friend, and I have since purchased another diamond in the rough, this one a C&C 40 Cheers

 

[Jim A]

Venture 17

I still remember the toilet dumped right into the water! When I started on the railroad toilets dumped riught on the tracks.How cool was that!

 

[Dick kuchinsky]

13' Sunfish

I bought my 13' sunfish in November of 1974. I sailed first on Pierce Lake here in town. Dumped it in the very variable winds. Into the cold, cold water. That was the first of many great hours "on the wind."

 

[Bax]

SuperSnark

I received a SuperSnark from a friend got hooked after teaching myself to sail. Then Graduated to a Clark 14' learned even more (still hooked) baught a Mac "Venture 21" Still enjoying great times.Bax

 

[Tim Van Grove]

First Boat was Columbia Challenger (24')

Great first boat back in 1967.

 

[Chuck Weissberg]

A ringy Dingy

A GP 14

 

[Bob Braddy`]

First Boat

My first boat was a Zef, a 12' sloop. She was a pretty little boat, but slow.

 

[jim johnson]

H31, first boat

When I was looking to buy my first sailboat, my mother said "buy it big enough hte first time, your dad kept buying bigger and bigger boats". As a result I bought a H31, great boat, forgiving, easy to sail, comfortable, probably my last boatr.

 

[Carl Reitz]

One and only h40

Sailboats and wives. I'm lucky enough to have one - and only ever had one - of each. My lovely wife loves our 1987 h40 as much as I do.Learned to sail on a friend's 18 ft sloop. chartered for a number of years. Honeymoon was on a Pearson 26 in the VI.Our advice: charter a bit, figure out how you sail and what boat(s) fit you desires, then pick a good one and keep it a long time.

 

[Paul]

Sunfish

Sunfish to a Holder 14 (still have it) to a Mac 26x. Now looking for a Jeaneau 35 or Catalina 350. (May keep the Mac too>0

 

[jim]

snark so used it was free

It was in such bad shape I had to spend close to a mouth before I could think about getting it in the water. Sailed it for 2 summers and loved it, moved up to Laser and regret I let the Snark go it was that fun.

 

[Frank Hopper]

Tanzer 16

I went sailing on a flying Junior and went looking for one. I found a Tanzer 16, it was and is one of the nicest daysailors ever built. I was hooked. After adding nav lights and an outboard/kicker it was a small step to a Spirit 23 then Merit 25 and now Catalina 25.

 

[Dick]

My First Boat

I took sailing lessons at the end of one season and spent the next season renting from the same sailing school to make sure I was really going to have a long term relationship with the sport. Well I was hooked and at the end of that second season I bought a 1965 25 foot sloop called a New Horizon made by the Ray Greene Co. out of Ohio. Now 11 years later and we have moved up to a 33' Hunter. Still trying to sell the New Horizon.

 

[Brian]

Hooked by an International Topper

My first solo sail was an International Topper from a beach rental place on St. Thomas. After floundering around the bay for about 15 minutes, I finally was sailing the boat and not the other way around. From there it was on to learning on an Oday 23, a Catalina 25, and an Oday 25. I must say, that little boat set the hook in deep!

 

[Chris Swan]

sunfish to O'Day to ???

We got a Sunfish seven years ago, sailed it often for four years, then got an O'Day 19, sail it often, but still keep the Sunfish for quick solo sails off the beach...and want to go into a classic Catboat next...not really any bigger, 19 to 22 feet, but just the classic lines.

 

[Steve Zweigart]

Sunfish to Mac 25

Started sailing by learning, then teaching, sailing aboard a fleet of Sunfish at a Tennessee church camp in the early '80s. Bought my first boat two months ago...a 1986 MacGregor 25, which I have restored, and love with a passion. It's a very forgiving first boat which has taught me much while still providing an adequate sence of adventure. Practical fun for the family, too.

 

[Ken]

I'm now on my first.....

I just purchased my first sailboat last month (Hunter 22) and have yet dared to attempt to sail her. I have motored her up and down the river and even ventured out about a half mile off the beach but I dont know the first thing about sailing yet and my wife who does is in Iraq is the one with sailing experience. I have read several books on the subject but must say that that is nothing compared to first hand learning from an experienced sailor. I cant wait for my wife to return so she and I can spend some well deserved time together on our sailboat, until then I'll be the guy motoring around in Savannah in a sailboat!

 

[dan]

go for it Ken!

just remember one thing and you will be fine. you cant pee into the wind, get those sails up and impress your wife upon her return.

 

[Jim MacCord]

Clark's Cove

My first sailing experience was on a friend's Sea Snark, sailing on Clark's Cove off of Buzzards Bay. I later bought a Sea Snark when I was in Oklahoma, and sailed it on the local lakes. Myself, My wife, our 6month old son and an ice chest would load into this little snark and sail around the lake having a picnic. It was very crowded.