What is the longest and shortest trip you have ever taken? Lets organize it into longest/shortest time and longest/shortest distance just for kicks.
Longers trip taken
- Thread starter Bill Roosa
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Bill, if you don't count launch to slip
Then my shortest trip was one day in July 2000 when it was about 98 degrees by noon. we sailed about a half mile and remembered that we had an air conditioned house. By then the winches were too hot to touch. we put the boat way and went home.
Then my shortest trip was one day in July 2000 when it was about 98 degrees by noon. we sailed about a half mile and remembered that we had an air conditioned house. By then the winches were too hot to touch. we put the boat way and went home.
Shortest trip
Was during my first solo sail on a dinghy. The wind was onshore and I couldn't get fifteen yards from shore. I capsized and when I righted her the wooden rudder hit bottom and snapped a gudgeon. All happened in about ten minutes.
Was during my first solo sail on a dinghy. The wind was onshore and I couldn't get fifteen yards from shore. I capsized and when I righted her the wooden rudder hit bottom and snapped a gudgeon. All happened in about ten minutes.
Shortest and longest
Not that it qualifies as a trip, but my shortest distance was about a mile and a half last month. Got out to the channel markers in Deltaville, and couldn't see the lighted bouys for the entrance because of fog. Did a tight u-turn and put the boat right back in the slip. My personal longest/shortest distance? From Old Road Bay in Pikesville,Md. to Annapolis for the Good Old Boats Regatta last year. It took us 10 hours to the bridge, because of strong headwinds and rain,and 4 and 5 foot waves over the bow.We couldn't see the bridge lights, so turned up bay and hid out in the Magothy for the night. I just checked the distance, and it was only 14.4 nm. In that distance, we ran out of gas,and were almost run down by freighters twice.The first time we drifted into the shipping lanes above Baltimore light while switching gas tanks.A southbound ship overtook us. I'm sure he never saw us, as we didn't see him till he was right on our butt. We could count rivits in the hull of the freighter as he passed. The second time,we turned in front of Northbound ship when we were making our tack back to the Magothy. Also a "nosee'um" situation. After we anchored behind Dobbins Island,the skipper fell into the cabin and had to be evacuated to the hospital for fifty stitches in his thigh, and on top of all that, it took us 6 hours to finish a 3 1/2 hour race. It was the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. I was scared to death, and thrilled at the same time. Well, the fall into the cabin (not me) wasn't thrilling...lol. Larry Wilson
Not that it qualifies as a trip, but my shortest distance was about a mile and a half last month. Got out to the channel markers in Deltaville, and couldn't see the lighted bouys for the entrance because of fog. Did a tight u-turn and put the boat right back in the slip. My personal longest/shortest distance? From Old Road Bay in Pikesville,Md. to Annapolis for the Good Old Boats Regatta last year. It took us 10 hours to the bridge, because of strong headwinds and rain,and 4 and 5 foot waves over the bow.We couldn't see the bridge lights, so turned up bay and hid out in the Magothy for the night. I just checked the distance, and it was only 14.4 nm. In that distance, we ran out of gas,and were almost run down by freighters twice.The first time we drifted into the shipping lanes above Baltimore light while switching gas tanks.A southbound ship overtook us. I'm sure he never saw us, as we didn't see him till he was right on our butt. We could count rivits in the hull of the freighter as he passed. The second time,we turned in front of Northbound ship when we were making our tack back to the Magothy. Also a "nosee'um" situation. After we anchored behind Dobbins Island,the skipper fell into the cabin and had to be evacuated to the hospital for fifty stitches in his thigh, and on top of all that, it took us 6 hours to finish a 3 1/2 hour race. It was the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. I was scared to death, and thrilled at the same time. Well, the fall into the cabin (not me) wasn't thrilling...lol. Larry Wilson
The night fell
Late one afternoon, I was showing my San Juan 21 to a prospective buyer. We trailered the boat to the marina and hoisted it into the water. The outboard motor was placed on its bracket, when I remembered that I did not bring the battery for the nav/running lights. "No problem," I said. "We will use the battery from the truck." After putting the battery on the boat, I realized that the connecting cables were at home. Since it is now getting to be dusk, we decided to test sail the boat another "day." Getting the truck to start afterwards, since it had begun to rain, is another story. He did buy the boat about a month later.
Late one afternoon, I was showing my San Juan 21 to a prospective buyer. We trailered the boat to the marina and hoisted it into the water. The outboard motor was placed on its bracket, when I remembered that I did not bring the battery for the nav/running lights. "No problem," I said. "We will use the battery from the truck." After putting the battery on the boat, I realized that the connecting cables were at home. Since it is now getting to be dusk, we decided to test sail the boat another "day." Getting the truck to start afterwards, since it had begun to rain, is another story. He did buy the boat about a month later.
Shortest and longest
Every year I do a long weekend with some guys I went to college with. We've done this for the last 25 years or so. One year, the weather was terrible the whole time so we motored a mile or so up the Root River and tied to a barge. For the next two nights we moved the boat down river and tied up at a new spot. Took us 3 days to go less than 2 miles. Drank a lot of beer and played a lot of cards that weekend. Longest would be about 600 miles - across Lake M up to Beaver and Manistique and back home. I am preparing to set out on my longest trip - Racine, WI to Olcot, NY.
Every year I do a long weekend with some guys I went to college with. We've done this for the last 25 years or so. One year, the weather was terrible the whole time so we motored a mile or so up the Root River and tied to a barge. For the next two nights we moved the boat down river and tied up at a new spot. Took us 3 days to go less than 2 miles. Drank a lot of beer and played a lot of cards that weekend. Longest would be about 600 miles - across Lake M up to Beaver and Manistique and back home. I am preparing to set out on my longest trip - Racine, WI to Olcot, NY.
1 nm and 1000 nm
Shortest was 1 nm out to the bay and didn't like what I saw in waves and wind so back we came. Longest was 1000 nm Galveston to Ft Lauderdale as crew on a boat delivery.
Shortest was 1 nm out to the bay and didn't like what I saw in waves and wind so back we came. Longest was 1000 nm Galveston to Ft Lauderdale as crew on a boat delivery.
shortest, and slowest?
My shortest trip was on a beat up catalina. I had hoisted the main and just sailed out of the slip when suddenly the port chainplate ripped out and the mast came crashing down. I very quickly got the motor running (a feat in itself to do under 5 pulls) with the winds blowing about little over 15 and pushing me towards neighboring boats. I accidentally cranked it into forward instead of reverse all while swinging the stern in the wrong direction, so in my panic (also a lesson in why-not-to-panic) I shifted straight into reverse, no throttle let up or anything--broke the shear pin with a sound loud enough to make me think I did a number on the transmission. Somehow the short burst of power in whatever direction got me within arms reach of the piling to pull myself back into the slip. My "longest" trip, at least considering it was by far the slowest which made it feel like the longest was a jog up the James River in a Columbia 35. Motor had died conveniently after making it into the Bay. We made steady progress in the gentle breeze so it wasn't bad at all at first. Then getting through Hampton Roads into the river proper the breeze goes to zero, temp is baking and we're trying to go upriver. To make what is a very long story short--in an 18+ hour, 45-mile trip, we swerved around the river looking for favorable eddies, rode the tide, fought the tide, sought and hoped for countercurrents, ran aground, prayed for better luck, and eventually made it.
My shortest trip was on a beat up catalina. I had hoisted the main and just sailed out of the slip when suddenly the port chainplate ripped out and the mast came crashing down. I very quickly got the motor running (a feat in itself to do under 5 pulls) with the winds blowing about little over 15 and pushing me towards neighboring boats. I accidentally cranked it into forward instead of reverse all while swinging the stern in the wrong direction, so in my panic (also a lesson in why-not-to-panic) I shifted straight into reverse, no throttle let up or anything--broke the shear pin with a sound loud enough to make me think I did a number on the transmission. Somehow the short burst of power in whatever direction got me within arms reach of the piling to pull myself back into the slip. My "longest" trip, at least considering it was by far the slowest which made it feel like the longest was a jog up the James River in a Columbia 35. Motor had died conveniently after making it into the Bay. We made steady progress in the gentle breeze so it wasn't bad at all at first. Then getting through Hampton Roads into the river proper the breeze goes to zero, temp is baking and we're trying to go upriver. To make what is a very long story short--in an 18+ hour, 45-mile trip, we swerved around the river looking for favorable eddies, rode the tide, fought the tide, sought and hoped for countercurrents, ran aground, prayed for better luck, and eventually made it.
maiden voyage
Longest was from Riverhead NY to City Island NY, around 120 miles. Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done. Bought an Oday 22 on Ebay, didnt know what I was doing, and took off on the journey alone the first week of May. Met my buddy at Orient Point who joined me on the next leg to Port Jefferson. Had problems, as in didn't realize how far Port Jeff was and should have crossed the Sound to the CT side instead. Ended up making it to Mt. Sinai Harbor after running out of gas near Miller Place and almost hitting Miller Rock, after a shroud popped loose, tangled in the jib sheets and we couldn't tack the jib completely(how we got more gas is another story involving a man on the beach and a drive to the gas station). My buddy was deathly ill almost the entire time. I've never seen anyone more seasick. We made it to Port Jeff in the morning which was fun as we were surfing big waves with the tide rushing in. That entrance didn't seem very large. My buddy jumped on the Ferry and was gone as soon as we tied up. I went into a building and slept for a couple hours. Also called the wife and let her know everything was just great! Woke up, refueled and took off at 10 AM, motored most of the way and made it to City Island around 6PM. Whenever my wife gets a little nervous now I just laugh, as my first trip was by far my worst. I am in no way advocating learning to sail in this manner. Also would like to note that I believe my Oday 22 has magical powers that somehow allowed it to complete this fantastic journey.
Longest was from Riverhead NY to City Island NY, around 120 miles. Probably the dumbest thing I've ever done. Bought an Oday 22 on Ebay, didnt know what I was doing, and took off on the journey alone the first week of May. Met my buddy at Orient Point who joined me on the next leg to Port Jefferson. Had problems, as in didn't realize how far Port Jeff was and should have crossed the Sound to the CT side instead. Ended up making it to Mt. Sinai Harbor after running out of gas near Miller Place and almost hitting Miller Rock, after a shroud popped loose, tangled in the jib sheets and we couldn't tack the jib completely(how we got more gas is another story involving a man on the beach and a drive to the gas station). My buddy was deathly ill almost the entire time. I've never seen anyone more seasick. We made it to Port Jeff in the morning which was fun as we were surfing big waves with the tide rushing in. That entrance didn't seem very large. My buddy jumped on the Ferry and was gone as soon as we tied up. I went into a building and slept for a couple hours. Also called the wife and let her know everything was just great! Woke up, refueled and took off at 10 AM, motored most of the way and made it to City Island around 6PM. Whenever my wife gets a little nervous now I just laugh, as my first trip was by far my worst. I am in no way advocating learning to sail in this manner. Also would like to note that I believe my Oday 22 has magical powers that somehow allowed it to complete this fantastic journey.
One-day trips
Longest: I left the mooring on my C27 at 3:30 am in the dark and sailed from Bass River from the South side of Cape Cod south to Nantucket- solo (clearly the Admiral was out of town). I struck sail, went into the harbor, made a couple turns, (never tied up- too expensive) and sailed back arriving in the dark again about 9:00 at night. Sweet sail. Shortest: Launched the boat May 25th; tied it up; discovered the broken stern tube; called the Admiral to say I was sinking (technically true, but not an adviseable phone call) and got the boat pulled. End of trip, end of season, and end of my ownership of that boat. Roger Now Captain of Picnic Cat #123, Katty Bay (No stern tube) Dennis Cape Cod
Longest: I left the mooring on my C27 at 3:30 am in the dark and sailed from Bass River from the South side of Cape Cod south to Nantucket- solo (clearly the Admiral was out of town). I struck sail, went into the harbor, made a couple turns, (never tied up- too expensive) and sailed back arriving in the dark again about 9:00 at night. Sweet sail. Shortest: Launched the boat May 25th; tied it up; discovered the broken stern tube; called the Admiral to say I was sinking (technically true, but not an adviseable phone call) and got the boat pulled. End of trip, end of season, and end of my ownership of that boat. Roger Now Captain of Picnic Cat #123, Katty Bay (No stern tube) Dennis Cape Cod
Longest/Shortest
Longest; Year 2000. Long Beach, CA to La Paz, MX, and back, about 2000 nm in my Bene 40 Shortest; Year 1977. About 50 yards on my first boat, a Windmill 16 in Hurricane Gulch, San Pedro, CA. Left the dock near the launch ramp, went about 50 yards, and on the firt turn, got knocked flat, sails in the water, day over.
Longest; Year 2000. Long Beach, CA to La Paz, MX, and back, about 2000 nm in my Bene 40 Shortest; Year 1977. About 50 yards on my first boat, a Windmill 16 in Hurricane Gulch, San Pedro, CA. Left the dock near the launch ramp, went about 50 yards, and on the firt turn, got knocked flat, sails in the water, day over.
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