Is it Just me

[DAVE C.5111]

Point of View

I started sailing, on Hobies and Sabots, a few times a year over twenty years ago. 10 years past my brother and his wife took off on their cruise and I've met up with him for two weeks to a month every year since. Early this year my wife and I bought our first boat, an O'day 302 and I still say I'm new to sailing. It's completely different game when your playing around or on someone elses boat then when your responsible for the boat and crew yourself.Dave.............

 

[Glen]

Yea, what they said

Andy, you have 5 fingers and a thumb on one hand? I am getting into sailing for relaxation. That may be why you see older people get into it. Not that I am older people..45. I find that sitting on a sailboat my stress just goes away. Money is a little factor. My bass boat has a 40 gallon tank. Premium fuel price times 40...ouch. I got my boat cheap. But is is priceless for the relief I get from it.

 

[Fred Ficarra]

It's tempting

to jump in here,,,,Nah!

 

[Seattle Scott]

I am new to sailing

I haven't run aground (just bumped).I haven't fouled the prop with the dockline.I haven't fallen off or out of, only into, the boat.I haven't filled my water tank with fuel.I haven't left the dock with the shorepower plugged in. I haven't anchored over someone elses rode.I haven't dropped anything worth more than $10 over the side. These will all come with more experience. So for now I am just new to sailing.

 

[John Nantz]

But Scott.....

... with a list of things like that (which you haven't done) you must be learning fast!Knowing now that pretty much all of these are bound to happen, aren't you a little concerned about continuing in sailing?

 

[patrick]

Scott, come to Birch Bay next summer

and you can check off at least three of those. The water is warm and the beach is a very gentle slope. You can go carefully aground or at least bump into it gently without too much problem. It is good to know what your depth sounder indicates then.You can jump into the 70 degree water and practice getting back aboard. You can also see how difficult it is to bring someone else aboard when they are fully clothed. I also recommend you try that with your life jacket and heavy clothes on just to see what it is like. You will probably have a new appreciation for the issue. Do not do this alone!Just doing that, I would be glad to sign you off of the "new to sailing" group. Just bring the proper paperwork.BR - You didn't answer my other questions.What gas shortage? - I have never gone into a gas station which was actually out of gas in 4 decades.Lucky 1%? - I am trying to become a member of this group not criticize someone for their success.As to spelling and grammer, perfection is not necessary but without these things, writing is meaningless nonsense. I do not doubt that you have a lot to contribute but if you do not care enough to make some minimal effort to communicate clearly using spelling and grammer, isn't that really a put down of the audience you are writing to? Kind of a self righteous attitude as I see it and a not so obvious put down that you say you oppose.If we make a list of undocumented rules, that is a form of documentation - isn't it?I am not trying to be mean or contentious. If you can hear what I am saying, and apply yourself, this might actually be a gift to you. I would rather be friends.

 

[Seattle Scott]

No concerns

Well I lied. Sailing is as much about freedom and relaxation as it is about thinking, calculating, observing, planning and the like. I do get a little concerned when I have been out for a few hours and realize the only thing I have been observing is my dwindling smoked salmon and beer provisions. Boy, then I start doing some serious thinking. Sailing is a thinking person's pastime.

 

[newly anonymous]

thanks, Ray!

and you're right, all the rest is exactly that. a bit of spray in the face. it makes the fair winds all the more enjoyable.

 

[Bilge-Rat]

Back to Patrick

I don't believe I mentioned anything about a gas shortage or reference to any luck.Not try to start an arguement here! Just trying to donate a little knowledge. I've been swimming against the current too many years now and get'n too old to care. So I'll just move on to the next subject and drop this nonsince.Fair Winds~~~~~

 

[Steve G]

Another way of looking at it

is that perhaps MORE NEW SAILORS are using THIS forum. It sure would be a shame if they were turned off by a few arrogant highbrows. It seems to me there's room for everyone's question, and I'm glad they're asking rather than guessing. Happy sailing.. (next spring, that is)

 

[patrick]

B. R. - you are right

I was confused by the original post and other responses. It is kind of hard to follow. Didn't mean to take it out on you.If you have moorage at Edmonds, that alone makes you a part of the 0.0001% that do and you probably do have a lot to contribute to the discussion. Just for the record, I do not believe that you are too old to care. See you around the Sound.^..^

 

[Fred Ficarra]

?????

Nah!

 

[John Nantz]

And Where is Rich???

Hey Rich! Don't forget, you're the one that started this post! (i.e., it's all your fault!).Just checked and it appears you haven't made a single comment since. You owe it to us to say something! If nothing else but to keep everybody on topic - remember, the original question is YOUR post!Also, we got this Fred guy thats lurking around and stops by for a visit but doesn't really say much. And now he has a bunch of ?????s. Oh, then there's that other new guy - Scott. a.k.a. Scott the fast learner. Be careful and don't let Patrick sucker you into a challenge. If you go up there to Drayton Harbor at Semiahmoo/Blaine be sure to give a nice wide berth past the last daymark to stb'd or else you can probably tick off one of the items on your list. It gets a lot shallower there than what's shown on the chart.

 

[Richard]

It was time to do something.

Back to the original topic ... For me, being new to sailing meant that I finally took the time and effort to stop reading magazines and dreaming about sail boats and actually go out and buy one and learn to sail (again).Turning 50 was the trigger. I remembered back to when I was 30 and dreamed about a 40 ft Privelidge catameran - or when I was 40 and dreamed about a 30 ft Hunter - as I approached 50, I thought that if I didn't do something about this sailoat dream I would end up with at 70 buying a 10 ft row boat!Fortunately we have a large lake in our city that is the domestic water supply. Because of the environmental regulations, there are only 25 morrings available in the water and ONLY for sailboats - no motors allowed on the lake at all.There are an additional 50 parking lot spaces for trailer boats that launch from a boat ramp, but for the most poart there is rarely ever more than a doven boats on the water. With no threat of playing tag with Jet Ski nuts, power boat wakes or sitting in a rainbow of spilled fuel, we simply enjoy the view of the Rocky Mountains and the gentle westerly breeze than raises from the foothils.Unfortunatly, we are limited by the seasons. My 22 foot is now safely tucked away uintil next May. But that just gives me time to participate in forums like this - learn from more experienced sailors and refresh my dreaming skills for a new season of sailing.R

 

[sonofasailorsailing]

Learning to sail

No matter how much experience one has, one never stops learning. My wife and I are just in our second year of sailing. We feel like we were so stupid when we started, "how could we have done...." fill in the blank yourself, we probably did it. As for why we strated sailing, I have been reading about sailing for over twenty years. My first wife thought it was a waste of time. She is no longer with me and now I am sailing with a soulmate. (She is actually better at this that I.)As the saying goes, any idiot with a six pack can drive a powerboat, it takes skill to pilot a sailboat.