Do you really want the truth, KC?
I'm a neophyte and I'm still learning, just like you. I got into sailing back in the mid 1970s because I had a small wooden cabin cruiser and I couldn't afford the gas to run it. I went to the public library and drew out books on sailing, and that's how I learned. Things really haven't changed that much because here it is the summer of 2008, I'm a sailboater, and I still can't afford the gas! No,--I've never been an instructor. I've done a lot of coastal cruising through the years no further than 60 miles on my longest trips, and my navigation skills are mediocre compared to my other boating pals who are USPS members. I've taken two USPS piloting courses, but other than that, the only other school I've attended has been "the school of hard knocks." I love sailing and it's in my blood, but I still run into problems from time to time and I keep on trying to solve them by trying something new. The same story that you just told me actually happened to me when I was first learning to sail. Only, that 16' racing twin centerboard sloop that I had, capsized in the middle of the lake and scared the living you know what, out of me. It's safe to say that if I still had that boat today I would have quit sailing right then and there, but do ya know what? The O'Day 222 is a very forgiving boat and a capable cruiser that will go just about anywhere on the coast that her big sisters can go. We learn by our mistakes and hopefully as we get a little older, we get a little wiser. Thank you for those kind words.
I hope that my hat still fits! LOL
Smooth Sailing!
Joe
