I recently purchased a23.5 hunter and had a few questions Ive owned runabouts , cabin cruisers , houseboat but never sailed in my life. Was partial to this boat only due to the cockpit room and the cabin layout that coupled with the fact in my opinion its a very "nice" looking sailboat. but if someone's never sailed how difficult will this be learning with this boat? hear tell of "heeling" rapid on this please define this and any others info you can.
need input on sailing h23.5
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A big order
Congrads on entering the sailing world!
Heeling is the boat leaning over due to the wind pushing the sails. It is normal and necessary to make the boat go.
I started in a similar fashion. I armed myself with "chapman's Piloting" and found that I had few supprizes on my first trip.
For starters I'd just concern myself with halyards, sheets and traveler. The rest of the lines (not ropes please) are not used nearly as much as those three.
The halyards (mainsail and jib) pull on the top (head) of the sail and drag it up to the top of the mast. Sheets attach to hole in the loose corner (clew) on the jib (there are 2, port and starboard) and the boom for the main. The traveler(s) control the location of the boat side of the main sheet tackle. You control the power and shape of the sails by pulling on the sheets, moving the traveler, and playing with the rudder. They all work together so
After getting out of the harbor, head into the wind and rase the main. Turn either direction to fill the main till the wind is coming directly from the side (athwart). The boat will start heeling and moving forward if there is any wind. It is normal to have the rudder turned so the boat would turn "down wind" by about 3-5 degrees. This is called weather helm because the tiller is pulled "to weather" or upwind. If the boat heels too much, turn into the wind or dead down wind. The former is prefered as it brings you to a stop but is not always possable. Don't try going down wind initally as you can get the main sail back winded and have an uncontroled jibe. pretty hard on the boat and could hurt someone.
Good luck
WARNING: I'm not familure with the 23.5. It may have a retractable keel or water ballast. Either must be taken care of BEFORE you rase any sail.
Congrads on entering the sailing world!
Heeling is the boat leaning over due to the wind pushing the sails. It is normal and necessary to make the boat go.
I started in a similar fashion. I armed myself with "chapman's Piloting" and found that I had few supprizes on my first trip.
For starters I'd just concern myself with halyards, sheets and traveler. The rest of the lines (not ropes please) are not used nearly as much as those three.
The halyards (mainsail and jib) pull on the top (head) of the sail and drag it up to the top of the mast. Sheets attach to hole in the loose corner (clew) on the jib (there are 2, port and starboard) and the boom for the main. The traveler(s) control the location of the boat side of the main sheet tackle. You control the power and shape of the sails by pulling on the sheets, moving the traveler, and playing with the rudder. They all work together so
After getting out of the harbor, head into the wind and rase the main. Turn either direction to fill the main till the wind is coming directly from the side (athwart). The boat will start heeling and moving forward if there is any wind. It is normal to have the rudder turned so the boat would turn "down wind" by about 3-5 degrees. This is called weather helm because the tiller is pulled "to weather" or upwind. If the boat heels too much, turn into the wind or dead down wind. The former is prefered as it brings you to a stop but is not always possable. Don't try going down wind initally as you can get the main sail back winded and have an uncontroled jibe. pretty hard on the boat and could hurt someone.
Good luck
WARNING: I'm not familure with the 23.5. It may have a retractable keel or water ballast. Either must be taken care of BEFORE you rase any sail.
Bad...
Am assuming your 23.5 is the wing keel boat, it shouldn't be all that tender (heel quickly) compared to the water ballast 23's. Don't know where you're sailing out of, but ask some experienced sailors on your dock (or at the ramp) to go out with you and show you the "ropes" initially. We all love to sail on other people's boats!
Follow Bill Roosa's advice, take it easy initially and learn what pulling on each "string" does and how it affects the boat's actions. A tiller will take a bit of getting used to, but gives you great feel for what's happening. Don't worry about tipping it over either, as that keel will keep it upright in reasonable conditions. Take a Power Squadron course or a few lessons with a US Sailing or ASA school. You've entered a new world so it will help to have a road map.
Lastly, enjoy what many of us hold so dear! Most of us started with a small sailboat of some sort and got "hooked"!
Am assuming your 23.5 is the wing keel boat, it shouldn't be all that tender (heel quickly) compared to the water ballast 23's. Don't know where you're sailing out of, but ask some experienced sailors on your dock (or at the ramp) to go out with you and show you the "ropes" initially. We all love to sail on other people's boats!
Follow Bill Roosa's advice, take it easy initially and learn what pulling on each "string" does and how it affects the boat's actions. A tiller will take a bit of getting used to, but gives you great feel for what's happening. Don't worry about tipping it over either, as that keel will keep it upright in reasonable conditions. Take a Power Squadron course or a few lessons with a US Sailing or ASA school. You've entered a new world so it will help to have a road map.
Lastly, enjoy what many of us hold so dear! Most of us started with a small sailboat of some sort and got "hooked"!
welcome to sailing B_C_P & the world of Hunter
You've made a good choice of boat to begin sialing. The 23.5 is a water ballast / centerboard boat and as such will seem to be 'tippy' as it begins to sail, that is it will heel to one side or the other as the wind blows over the sails. This can cause concern for your safety until you become used to it
. Things usually settle down before anyone or anything gets tossed over the rail.
If you do not have an owners manual I suggest you navigate this site to the Boat Info section and follow the links to the 23.5 area. There should be a post there with a link to scans of the factory manual. You should become familiar with the mast raising, mainsail reefing, and general sailing instructions. They will go a long way toward making you comfortable with your new boat. Practice raising the mast when you are not in a rush to hit the water, it goes much more smoothly when taken at a deliberate pace.
Smooth waters and fair winds to you. Hope to see you visit these parts often with tales of your adventures!
You've made a good choice of boat to begin sialing. The 23.5 is a water ballast / centerboard boat and as such will seem to be 'tippy' as it begins to sail, that is it will heel to one side or the other as the wind blows over the sails. This can cause concern for your safety until you become used to it
. Things usually settle down before anyone or anything gets tossed over the rail.If you do not have an owners manual I suggest you navigate this site to the Boat Info section and follow the links to the 23.5 area. There should be a post there with a link to scans of the factory manual. You should become familiar with the mast raising, mainsail reefing, and general sailing instructions. They will go a long way toward making you comfortable with your new boat. Practice raising the mast when you are not in a rush to hit the water, it goes much more smoothly when taken at a deliberate pace.
Smooth waters and fair winds to you. Hope to see you visit these parts often with tales of your adventures!
I stand corrected...
The 23.5 is the water ballast model, predecessor to the 240 I'm much more familiar with, not the fin/wing keel 23 that I thought it was. Check the Boat Forum for owner's comments on this model, there's a lot of them.
The 23.5 is the water ballast model, predecessor to the 240 I'm much more familiar with, not the fin/wing keel 23 that I thought it was. Check the Boat Forum for owner's comments on this model, there's a lot of them.
I strongly advise...
getting hold of Don Guillette's 'Sail Trim' book available on this site. It has a no nonsense approach to learning how to sail. It can take you from a total novice to a pretty good sailor and at less than $20 it's the best investment you can make.
Once you get the hang of it your going to enjoy the hell out of it. I only wish I had discovered sailing in my youth.
getting hold of Don Guillette's 'Sail Trim' book available on this site. It has a no nonsense approach to learning how to sail. It can take you from a total novice to a pretty good sailor and at less than $20 it's the best investment you can make.
Once you get the hang of it your going to enjoy the hell out of it. I only wish I had discovered sailing in my youth.
OK, yes you can learn a lot by trial and error - there will be a lot of error at first, so why not skip all the anguish and white knuckle time and get a teacher. A couple of days on the water with an experienced sailor will do wonders for your confidence.
Even better, if you intend on taking friends and family with you and would like them to sail with you more than once, you should take a keelboat course from a recognized sailing school.
Of course, In the meantime you can learn a lot by asking questions and spending time in the archives. Also, since the H260 is just the big brother to the H23.5 you can learn a lot by spending time at this link: http://h260.com
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'LL LEARN:
ALWAYS BE READY TO RELEASE THE MAINSHEET INSTANTLY!!!
On this boat, the power is in the mainsail so be ready for gusts - this has nothing to do with being "tippy" it just means that until you get more experience you'll find that the boat has mind of it's own when overpowered.
Sorry about the yelling, but we often hear inexperienced sailors (and others that should know better) attribute the sudden heeling of the boat to the fact that the 23.5 is a water ballast design. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've sailed my boat in 30mph winds with very little heeling - it's how you control the main, and to some degree the jib. That's where learning about sail trim comes in. The tip about Don's book is a good one - I learned a lot from him.
Even better, if you intend on taking friends and family with you and would like them to sail with you more than once, you should take a keelboat course from a recognized sailing school.
Of course, In the meantime you can learn a lot by asking questions and spending time in the archives. Also, since the H260 is just the big brother to the H23.5 you can learn a lot by spending time at this link: http://h260.com
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU'LL LEARN:
ALWAYS BE READY TO RELEASE THE MAINSHEET INSTANTLY!!!
On this boat, the power is in the mainsail so be ready for gusts - this has nothing to do with being "tippy" it just means that until you get more experience you'll find that the boat has mind of it's own when overpowered.
Sorry about the yelling, but we often hear inexperienced sailors (and others that should know better) attribute the sudden heeling of the boat to the fact that the 23.5 is a water ballast design. Nothing could be further from the truth. I've sailed my boat in 30mph winds with very little heeling - it's how you control the main, and to some degree the jib. That's where learning about sail trim comes in. The tip about Don's book is a good one - I learned a lot from him.
thanks for the information , as for sailing school I'm in wayyy upstate ny on st lawerence river nothing even remotely close here. have someone in mind to learn from seems to be quite informative and has owned and still owns sailboat so will try and learn from him. question..can you sail with just the mainsail? how does the jib come into play and what is its purpose? lol shaking your heads right now I bet .clueless here but plan to attempt this anyway . thanks for any input
Bad...
Given the weather forecast for this weekend, I'd give serious thought to taking a sailing school vacation in the BVI's about now...
Given the weather forecast for this weekend, I'd give serious thought to taking a sailing school vacation in the BVI's about now...
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