How Did You Get Into Sailing?

tomgrigsby · May 14, 2011

One of my older brothers liked radio controlled sailboats and taught me. It was great fun. I was in the Navy, and there was a sailboat rental place so I read the rules of the road and went down and took their test and passed. They said "great, go on down to the dock and rig a Laser." I said "what's a Laser." He said, you've never "sailed a Laser?" I replied "I've never sailed a real boat before." So they showed me the ropes and told me how to right it from a knockdown. They turned me loose in the marina, I knocked her down and righted her, and they turned me loose in Willoughby Bay (Norfolk). I'll never forget the feeling when I cleared the channel breakwater and headed out into the bay!

sandsailor · May 14, 2011

very young

i went to a sailing school with my dad when i was 8yrs old in scottsdale az and tom said he wouldnt charge me for it cause he didnt think a kid my age would understand or comprehend the class (i did very well)and that was 30 yrs before i bought my santana 27 and me and my boat do quite well on the water ( I'm what you call a red flag sailor ) tom at the sail boat shop says when the red flag goes up i'm not far behind. my wife wont let me get a catamaran:cussing:

Warren Milberg · May 14, 2011

In 1969, I was just back from 3 yrs in Vietnam. Looking at the Sunday sports section of the paper, I saw an ad "Learn to Sail" by a retiree at a local marina. I took a 2-hr lesson from him and he told me not to come back, as "I'd never be a sailor." We talked for while and he recommended a few sailing books for me to read. I read them and came back for another 2-hr lesson, which went well. I fell in love with sailing. Two weeks later, I bought a 15 and half foot Snipe from a local racer. Two years later, I was in the regionals and even won now and then. Forty years and five boats later, and I still love it....

r.oril · May 14, 2011

I believe that some people are just natural sailors.

My dad traded a grand piano for a 21 foot IronCraft/Wood? in the Ventura Marina in 1968. We went down to the marina, attached the little Seagul outboard, motored out to the brakewater raised the sails and went sailing. He had been the Navy, sailed on a big Cruiser. We did not have a clue.

Now that I have had my own first sail boat for three years, I have been knocked down once, almost forgot to open the water ballast before raising the sails, forgot to lower the DB, I think going to some school/classes/on the boat training would have been a better choice.

Maybe I should say, "Some people are just Lucky".

sinnettc · May 14, 2011

I started out when I was about 10, I guess. Dad, who was in the USCG, bought a new Bristol 24 which we sailed around New York City and Long Island Sound, then around Mt. Desert Island when we moved to Bass Harbor, Maine. I learned the basics on that boat and passed the first USCG Auxiliary boater's course when I was 11 or 12. When we were transferred to Oregon in 1977, between my sophomore & junior years in high school, the boat stayed in Maine and other than an occasional charter fishing trip, I didn't get on the water anymore.

22 years later, in 1999, I flew back to Maine and spent a week with Dad on the old Bristol 24. We spent 5 days sailing and motorsailing from Bass Harbor to Jonesport and back. When I got back I told The Admiral (not yet my wife or The Admiral) that my 5 year plan included buying a boat, any boat.

A couple years later, when Dad shipped out some furniture he included my sister's old laser in the load. Dinghy sailing, and especially a hot and tender boat like a laser, really improves your boat handling if you don't want to spend a lot of time in the water. It's not so good if you want to take anyone older than 6 along with you though.

In May of 2007 The Admiral, who'd never been on a sailboat, found a boat that we could both sail on. Someone donated a 2004 Catalina Capri 16.5 to a local charity in the building she works in. Practically before I knew what had happened she'd sold the laser & trailer and we were proud owners of a boat that both of us, and one of the grandkids could fit on, and we could even take a cooler! The Capri 16.5 is a fun little boat, if a bit wet when it's windy, and allowed me to get used to working both a jib and main. It was a good choice for her to learn on too; fairly stable and easy to sail, with simple sail controls for her to learn on.

On the 4th of July, 2008, we went sailing with an acquaintance on his Olson 25. Bill and I spent the day sailing the boat; The Admiral relaxed in the cockpit and later in the cabin. We (she?) mentioned that we'd (eventually) like a bigger boat that we could sleep on. Bill said the one 3 slips down was about to come on the market and was well maintained. We took a peek at it and agreed it was nice.

A couple weeks later The Admiral asked if I was going to get in touch with the guy about that boat we looked at. "uh . . sure, honey, but we won't be able to afford it." So, being a good Captain, I followed orders and got the information. A week later, she asked "were you going to talk to the bank?" "uh, sure honey, but they won't give me the money." Only they did. So at the beginning of August we bought Verboten, our Catalina Capri 22, and put the Capri 16.5 up for sale.

Verboten is race-rigged, with adjustable genoa cars, windward sheeting traveler and an adjustable backstay. Way more to deal with than on any boat I'd ever sailed before, but I've also got a much better understanding of what's going on, and how to get the most out of the boat than with any boat in the past. More headroom and space would be nice, but I don't want to give up the performance for a less nimble cruiser, so Verboten looks to be "The One" for now.

I have two goals for this summer. Goal 1 is to learn to use the gennaker another sailor loaned us at the end of last season. I've never flown a chute and, frankly, I've always found them intimidating. At least the gennaker is close enough to a genoa that I understand what's going on.

Goal number two is to challenge the ASA Basic Keelboat course and maybe the Coastal Cruising one as well so we can start thinking about on occasional charter when we travel.

piper · May 15, 2011

At the end of 2008, I bought a second hand ASA textbook for winter reading. Never did I think it would turn into doing. I'd always been curious about sailing, but living land locked never thought much about it (even though I grew up every summer on Greers Ferry Lake and watched sail boats do their thing).

In the spring of 09, my wife gave me sailing lessons for my birthday--probably because I was so taken with the text book I started heading to marinas and looking at boats trying to understand what I'd read about. Next thing I knew I was looking at old boats, and bought one. First boat was an Aquarius 23.

My wife didn't care for the porta-potty option, so I got the go ahead to move up to a 27 foot with a "real" bathroom in 2010.

Now if I can just find time to get to the boat and sail her, all would be right with the world.

I'm a certifiable ASA Keelboat 101 guy and would love to take other courses. When, but it feels like IF, I have time, I hope to get some saltwater and bluewater experience.

Boring, but true.

kappykaplan · May 15, 2011

I learned to sail on a 26 ft Rainbow knockabout in Annapolis in 1974. I was also exposed to very basic training on the Luder's yawls and immediately was intrigued by long distance point A to point B sailing. Fast forward to 1989 on an exchange posting with the Royal Navy. During that post I had two 2-week opportunities to sail in Nicholson 55' cutters - I was hooked on the big boats.

Then I was selected to teach in Annapolis. The instructors aren't given the summer off - we have to provide training to the Midshipmen. I was given the choice of teaching them to drive yard patrol craft or to sail the Navy 44s. It wasn't a hard decision. I earned my Skipper D offshore qual. In the process, on a trip to Bermuda, I was paired up with the sailmaster and learned a great deal about the boats.

In 1995, I was again posted to the United Kingdom with more opportunities on the Nicholson 55s. In 1996, I sailed from Portugal to Gosport - longest trip I've ever done. Then in 1997, I was on the delivery leg for Tall Ships 1997, sailing across the Channel to the Netherlands, then to northern Scotland.

I knew a big boat was in my future, but did nothing (looking or sailing) for about 10 years. I found my Pearson in Ft Lauderdale, established a crew and brought her up to Solomons MD in summer of 2008. Since then, I've gotten involved with a Scout Troop and have taken several of them on various excursions, including a DELMARVA last summer.

Juice6576 · May 15, 2011

Rented a boat while on Liberty

My sub was making a port call at Port Canaveral, FL. We were out on liberty and one of the guys had sailing expereince with his folks. We chipped in some money and rented a barnacle encrusted Catalina 25 from a rental stand on the causeway.
I had never been out on a sailboat before. The Sun was shining, wind was good and we had a great time. After a while, some of the guys wanted to cool off and hang off the back of the boat while sailing. (Probably a bad idea!) and they asked me to take the helm. I sailed the boat the rest of the afternoon, dolphins close to the rail. I was hooked for life.
I took sailing lessons while stationed up at Portsmouth Shipyard. The next spring, we ran into Crazy Dave Condon at Chesapeake Square Mall where he had a Trailerable Hunterr display set up. After a great test sail on Smith Mountain Lake, my wife agreed to buy our first boat (Hunter 23.5) and we've owned a Hunter since 1993. We took possession of our third new Hunter 33 on Saturday. So starts the next chapter.

mcrow33 · May 15, 2011

For my 48 birthday, my wife asked me what I wanted. I told her I wanted a 5 day sailing class at the local ASA sailing school. I did the ASA basic keelboat class over a five night period. Successful completion of the class included a one week membership in the sailing club. This gave me access to use the club boats. After the week trial period I joined the club, sailing the club boats. I also started racing in the weekly club races. The make up of the races in kind of a pick up race formam, where the club owner make up three person race teams every week, assigning most advance sailer as skipper, then a intermidiate and a beginner. Every week the teams change. After a few years, I was assigned the skipper position in the club racing. I also started crewing for the club owner on her Metal Mast 30. Over a seven year period, I completed the Basic Coastal Crusing and Bareboat Charter course. I am now an instructor at the sailing school, I have my USCG Master license, and just bought my first boat. I pritty much eat, drink, and sleep sailing.

PrincessoftheLake · May 15, 2011

I learned to sail on a Starwind 22. At the time I had no interest in boats let alone a sailboat but the first time the boat owner took me sailing it was magic. He gave me the helm and for just a moment I could feel how I was connected to the boat through the tiller and I fell in love. I became interested and read everything I could on the subject of sail trim and sailing and went sailing with my friend every chance I could. Eventually got a boat of my own and then started racing. I am now on boat #4 (Hunter 40.5) and still love it. I only race on other peoples boats and cruise on mine. The best of both worlds for me!

heart of gold · May 16, 2011

I started out on an old sailboard my buddy had on Alta Lake around 1988 in Whistler. He also had a Laser and he taught me how to get it going. I bought my own and started sailing regularly in Sunday races. This went on for about 4 or 5 summers interspersed with trips to the Gulf Islands crewing on his dad's Camper Nicholson 35. My friend, as a seasoned sailor that had many miles under his belt taught me a lot. 5 years ago I finally bought my own boat but because I still lived a ways from the ocean, I acquired a Mac 26M for its trailerablility. Once I moved to Squamish, however, it was time to get into something with better manners and bigger.We found our present boat, Heart of Gold, an H34. Sometimes when we're sailing along in a nice 10 to 15knot breeze, I still have to pinch myself. I am certified with CYA as an intermediate cruiser and have read extensively including Don's book through and through and am putting some of his ideas to work on an Olhson 40 which I have been asked to crew on for the up coming Swiftsure and Van Isle 360. Excuse me I have to pinch myself again....For me, it is fun to sail on as many different boats as possible. Everyone is different and every captain is different as well. I am finding that you never stop learning. Once you get the basic mechanics down, then a whole new world opens up, especially in racing. This last weekend I sailed with my Ohlson captain and an 80 year old sailor who owns Shenanegans, a Farr 30. Between the 2 of them they have about 100+ years of sailing. Lots to learn from these 2.

cwkemp · May 16, 2011

When I was about 14 my parents purchased an ancient wooden Friendship sloop. The boat was terribly neglected, dry rotted in all the wrong places, and probably hadn’t actually been floated for decades. No, my parents had never sailed anything, but we had lived as a family aboard a motor cruiser for a year or so. The sloop was beautiful and exciting in form and promise. While my father set to rebuilding boat and motor, I set to polishing brass winches and portholes, cleaning up and duplicating belaying pins and seeing to the details I could manage. My folks provided me with a few seamanship books (among them I remember Royce’s) in addition to Joseph Richard’s “Princess”. I grew in my excitement and anticipation of adventure as the months went by and I taught myself to splice three-strand rope and learned my points of sail and a lot of nautical terminology. I daydreamed a lot, picturing myself handling lines as the sails filled and sliced into the wind, trying to imagine the power transmitted through the mighty wooden mast to pull her shapely form through the waves.
Suddenly, due to finances and circumstances slightly beyond the full comprehension of a 14 yr old boy and not entirely clear to me now, the boat had to be sold, still in the yard where it was purchased. I was slightly discouraged and embittered but an interest and a dream were awakened. Eight years later after I’d married and had two sons, the father of a high school friend of mine gave me a home built 14’ plywood boat rigged with a loose footed sail and a leeboard. Thus, with a mainsheet, a cotton sail and a leeboard I had an experience more powerful than the grand visions I had of that old sloop. Twenty-some years later God has afforded me the blessings of owning, repairing , and sailing a Lightning, a sunfish, and our Catalina 22. I’ve only sailed inland lakes, but it is still a special thrill for me when I kill the outboard and raise it leaving us to balance wind, water and vessel to produce motion and harmony.

Mark Maulden · May 16, 2011

Some 50 yrs ago, my grandfather had a K-38 ( I was only ~8) and I remember sailing the San Juan Is and BC gulf Islands with him. In 1968, he sold it and bought a Spencer 42 and he and I took delivery of it from Gig harbor to Seattle with no mast. With both of these boats, we participated in the opening day of boating festivities in Seattle every year. Throughout school I was able to do some cruising/racing with him in the PNW waters. He was a commercial pilot and I started flying sailplanes at 14yrs old and the thought of flying/sailing with no engine was absolutely stunning.... He never bought an autopilot when I was with him as I was considered "the autopilot". His dinghy was a ranger 9' Minto and I talked him into leaving it on the shores of Puget Sd as he owned some waterfront property. I would take it out after school/weekends etc. I remember I was caught in some bad weather and was demasted and had to sail that boat the last few miles half full of water and the mast relashed in with whatever rope I could find. We both never did tell my parents....Fast forward a few yrs (decades) I bought an S2 9,2c and lived on it and traded up to an S2 11.0a and then met my now wife and we traded the S2 for a Gulfstar 44 Ketch and lived on that for 10 yrs and was still able to meet up with my grandfather in various places. We sold the Gulfstar in 2000 and rebuilt a house and have now purchased another S2 11.0A as we both like that boat. That brings me up to Feb this yr. Wow!!! 50 yrs in a para....

RECESS · May 17, 2011

When I was 14, my mother's friend took me on a Hobie 16. I had grown up surfing and sailing gave me the same rush as surfing. I still feel the same way about it every time I go out, 31 years later.

red_dolphin · May 17, 2011

Back in the '50s, my Uncle Buddy recruited me to be back-up crew for the Thistle he raced out of Balboa.
He was an excellent sailor and a great teacher.
He required every crew-member to memorize the following:

Much depends on local knowledge and the teamwork of the crew,
The setting and trimming of the sails to a nicety,
And the ability to anticipate events.

I have never found better advice.
=====
Later, I raced Lido14s in the ocean off Santa Monica Pier -- this before Marina del Rey was built.
Followed that with crewing in some PHRF races out of King Harbor and San Pedro.

Fade out ... Fade in
I wasn't able to sail much, let alone race, while I was in Corporate life.

Now that I am retired, however, I'm back in it.
Navigated on a Beneteau First 47.7 in the TransPac Qualifier sponsored by LAYC last weekend.
Am Skipper this weekend on a Beneteau 343 racing from Long Beach to Two Harbors on Saturday and racing back on Sunday.
This is the life!

uhh ... I think you can tell I'm a racer, not a cruiser.

mudtertel · May 17, 2011

I love it

When I was a young man ,at the age of 20-21 years of age, I worked with this old timer. He used to tell me all about how great sailing was. He would say " all you hear is the parting of the water and the flapping of the sails.
A few years later , my wife and I went to a boatshow,in Tampa. The sales man had me talked into buying a brand new 26' Oday,a lead lined bottom ,trailer and a kicker. All for a nice price of $10,000, but my Honey ( more level headed than I ) said no way ,how about when you're out of work. She was right, cause we be still paying that boat off.
Well I retired at 55, got my 1985 25.5 hunter. Not knowing how to sail yet,I found out my wife's brother(one of my good friends for years)knew how to sail( I never knew that).
We went out ,he pulled the lines ( I steered ) and had us leaning way over( at one point the rudder was out of the water). I told him , I had no controll, he looked at me and had a scared look on his face. I yelled at him for that and said,if you look like that what am I suppose to feel like.
Now that I 'm 58, you can't get me away from sailing . I just completed a boater safty course, was told sooner or later everybody will have to complete. The only thing I don't like is the season is way to short.

red_dolphin · May 17, 2011

But speaking more to the question posed by the OP:

I got back into sailing four years ago by taking lessons.
Sure, I had prior experience. I knew how to sail.
But I was afraid that, like Don's marina neighbors, I didn't know what I didn't know.

As it turned out, there were lots of things that I didn't know [and lots more yet to be discovered, I'm sure].
For one thing, I was sailing larger boats and had to deal the an engine.
[At the start, I was far more comfortable sailing into a slip than motoring in.]

Taking lessons from a school brought me in contact with other sailors.
Anyone who has tried to recruit and maintain a crew-pool understands how valuable it is to know other sailors.

Also, the school/club had a racing program.
It is one thing to know the theory of sail trim.
But a four-hour race around a dozen marks, with a couple of windward legs, will give you practical experience.
In fact, you'll probably get more experience trimming sails in one day than you got in your whole first set of sailing lessons.
The best part is that racing skippers need you.
As you gain skill, you get more offers to sail.
When you decide to get your own boat -- racer or cruiser -- you will know people who will help you sail it.

BTW: In the learning process, don't overlook Don Guillette's sail trim guide.
I bought it and I use it.
This is an unsolicited testimonial.
I hope that does not violate the rules of this forum.

Taroona · May 22, 2011

I learnt to sail in Tasmania in the Sea Scouts. Our troop had a 19ft Clinker built whaler with a gaaf rig. Our scout master, he was an old sea captain, was so tough he made us wear our scout uniforms while sailing. That was about 1963, I was 14. Then when about 16 I started racing a rainbow, see attachement, it even had a spinnaker and a pole extention and a trapeze. Built of plywood.

How Did You Get Into Sailing?

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