Kids Sailing Boats

Mac Bentley · Jun 7, 2004

I was a 54-year-old kid ...

About 20 years ago I was out on some sort of small (10 feet?) sail boat with a guy on a 6-acre lake. Ever since have thought I would like to sail. Finally last August, at age 54, decided it was time. Took a $100 YMCA course on an 11-foot Pico just to make sure I wanted to do it, got my feet wet figuratively and literally, then took a basic keelboat course and bought an h23. The wife and I are having a blast, just the kick we needed in our "declining" years. Wouldn't have wanted to do it any other way.Mac

Valhanna · Jun 7, 2004

Another Sunfish Start

I was very lucky as a child. I grew up around boats (sail & power) on the Metedeconk River in Brick, New Jersey. My dad started taking me out sailing on a Sunfish when I was 5 years old. Over the years, I learned a lot about sailing with that Sunfish. I was about 9 years old when I first soloed. Later on we purchased a 23 footer which I used off and on during college and grad school, etc. A few years after I moved out to the San Francisco Bay area, I bought a 2000 Catalina 36 MKII and have enjoyed the San Francisco Bay and Offshore ever since both with my wife and son (he started sailing, including coastal at 1 year old) and in singlehanded and doublehanded races. My races have included 2 Longpac races (singlehanded, 200 NM out the Golden Gate and back). I am hoping to participate in an upcoming Singlehanded Transpac race to Hawaii in the next couple of years. I've also sailed from Auckland, New Zealand to Tahiti with John & Amanda Neal on their 46' Halberg-Rassy and have been part of a delivery crew on a 63' catamaran from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to San Diego. So I've come a long way with sailing since I started at 5 years old. I'm hoping that my son (now 5 years old) will also have the sailing bug as he gets older. He's off to a good start!

Drakkar 002 · Jun 8, 2004

Slow on the uptake

I started when I was about 43. My boys were adults, but we had fun like we were all kids, learning together.We started with a Catalina 27. Because we had faith in the motor, we simply got out on the water and tried to make the sails look like the diagrams until we got it to move. Fortunately, we all had no problem admitting we had little idea of what we were doing, so we received a lot of help from our dock mates.I am a great proponent of teaching kids to sail as soon as it intrests them. Not only because it is such great fun, but the mental exercise and sense of accomplishment carries great value.Just as industrial arts or agriculture classes for school kids arn't necessarily for the purpose of producing machinists, carpenters or farmers. Sailing provides a point of reference for the book learning and other diciplines that the educational institution tries to instill.Did I mention it's also big fun?!

bill9762 · Jun 8, 2004

Remeber sailfish?

The precursor to sunfish was a flat board sailfish-I learned on an old wooden one until I blew the mast out of it sailing right after a hurricane. Started at age 12 and have been sailing ever since (48 years) on everything from an Electra to a 48' Alden ketch to my current Catalina 27.

Stephen Fierro · Jun 8, 2004

Last Month

I am 23 and I first sailed last month. I bought the sailboat three months ago. Read sailing for dumbies and went out. I figured "what's the worst that could happen?". It's a blast. Sailed from Deale, Md to Philadephia, PA already. Now I sail almost everyday on the Delaware River. It's not rocket science, just simple fun. Stephen FierroCaptain of Calamity

Steve Day11083 · Jun 8, 2004

Sailing Surfboard

I found a set of plans for a "sailing surfboard" in Boy's Life when I was 14. I built it with a little help from my dad and taught myself to sail on it. I, unfortunately, did not benefit from a sailing club, but I had a lot of experience in boats as my dad had boats from the time I was about 5.We had a real good time on that boat and spent a lot of time in the water as I learned how to sail.Steve

THE PHANTOM · Jun 8, 2004

When I learned to sail !

The family usually rented a cottage on Lake Maxinkuckee; Culver, Indiana each summer for about a month... My dad had a used Snipe he and the family would sail... It was tethered off the dock... It was my previlage to row out to her whenever we were to go sailing to bail her out and rig for the event... At that time I was about 10 years old... I have a picture of me, in a life jacket,sitting with my dad in the boat... When I had completed the task I would row back to pick up my dad... Well one day when I asked him if he was ready for me to come back to the dock to get him; he said much to my surprise, you take her out yourself... After that one sentence... I was hooked...

Dave A. · Jun 9, 2004

Started on a Penguin

I first sailed when I was a teaching water sking at a summer camp. I was in college at the time, the sailing instructer got me into one of the "Penguins" that the kids sailed and that was my first lesson. Probably the smallest boat I could of started in. That summer had a great time in those little boats but never touched a sailboat again untill I was about 45. At that time I heard about an old wooden sailboat in a barn. I went and looked at it, it turned out to be a Melges M16 in bad condition. I spent the winter in the garage refinishing it, turned out nice, and the next summer I reintroduced my self to sailing, I sailed the M16 for a few years then moved on to a Pearson 35 which I lived on and sailed for a while. I then had to move due to work, sold the Pearson and have been boatless for the last few years. I'm semiretired now and in the market for another, this will be the year.

Whimsea24278 · Jun 10, 2004

5 seasons

It's amazing how we end up where we do. I would say my desire to go sailing started in a doctor's office and came across a sail magazine. Until then, I hadn't really any idea of sailing at all. I subscribed and after a couple of years my wife and I decided we needed to go sailing. Lessons though seemed crazy expensive so we thought we'd just buy a boat and go from there. We decided on a MacGregor 26x (which really encourages the novice to buy and 'just do it'). So, never having set foot on a sailboat before we bought a brand spanking new 26x and learned to sail on a very small lake in nothern Minnesota.About a year after that we were trucking her up to the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior and decided we needed a bigger cruising boat and last year bought an O'Day 40. It's been a seriously awesome adventure!I think I learned to sail precisely when I was supposed to and when it did the most good. I can't imagine doing it any other way!

James10116 · Jun 10, 2004

A Lugar kit boat started it all.

It all started in 1976 when a guy named Fred I worked with from Bedford Mass. come in with an add for a Lugar "build it yourself" sail boat. I read the advertisment over and over for two years until I ordered the 26'. We had to build the trailer first and pick up the hull in NC. Lugar shipped the rest of the parts to me. I layed fiberglass matt, built bunks and mounted hardware on this thing for over 18 months. The day we put it over was the first day I had ever sailed. Since then I have run into several Lugar people. A real club of happy or sad memories. It is sort of like Vietnam vets or colledge alumni. I would not change the expierence gained or what I learned for anything. Thanks Lugar.

GreggM · Jun 11, 2004

FIRST SAIL

My first sailing experience was in a catamaran that I designed and built at age 18. No sailing lessons - no naval architecture training. Built a scale model first to prove out then built full size and hit the water. Problems??? I'm writing this aren't I?Sail a Pearson 36 now.

Bob Wolfe · Jun 12, 2004

First time was a blast

My first time sailing was a blast. I was in Officer Candidate School at NAS Pensacola and we had the first weekend off in about 6 weeks. One of my classmates suggested we go to the marina and rent a boat. We actually rented two sunfish and me, being the novice, just went along to see what it was all about. Man, was I ever hooked. I have been sailing ever since, and that was 1974!

BillO · Jun 13, 2004

8 foot plywood pram

*5It all started in the late 1950s'. At the Saugatuck, Mi. Yacht club. Plywood prams where the kids sail of the day. Over the years I did other things and last year I was offered a deal on at 25 ft MacGregor. This is the first time under sail in 42 years and love it.

shenanigansailor · Jun 14, 2004

Cool Breeze Provenance

If your Cool Breeze is an O'Day 27, I know her history. You and your son should race her. She is FAST! Your son will be hook on sailing upon his first win. I may still have the photo of her when she was on the cover of the Sunday newspaper supplement. What a beauty.

Glenn17467 · Jun 14, 2004

FJ's at 25

I learned to sail on FJ's. Bought on from a Sea Scout Post and began racing on Galveston Bay in 1970. Raced for 4 years and stopped when we had our second child. Bought a C30 last year. My wife and I love as well as our kids and thier families. Wish we hadn't waited so long.

Kids Sailing Boats

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