There were many reasons for buying my Newport 17 back in November. The main one was the Admiral was recovering from her second hip replacement. In the past 10 years she had two hip replacements, breast cancer (10 yr survivor) and two long bouts of severe Lyme disease. She needed a goal to help get through the winter physical therapy sessions and I needed something to keep me sane. One of the things she made clear up front was that I would be the one sailing, she was going along for the ride.
This forum really helped to keep me on track in preparing the Newport. I got a lot of good information and great suggestions, especially when I was going overboard with my worrying about fiberglass cracks, motor and bracket.
This past Saturday we arrived in Long Beach Island for a week’s vacation to focus on sailing. I had only taken the Newport out once prior and that was a real learning experience. I was looking forward to some good sailing, increasing my skills and getting my wife involved.
On Sunday the Newport PO helped me launch and we had a good sail of about 5 miles to Love Ladies, where we had rented a house on a lagoon. After we docked I was busy putting some stuff away when I turned around and the Admiral was already on board, ready for a sail. The three of us went out but the increasing winds took the fun out of it so we called it a day quickly.
Later that evening the wind died down so the Admiral and I went out for the first time by ourselves. Very light winds proved to be a chore for us newbies. I did learn to keep the motor running and use it when needed to power through tacks. It wasn’t much fun but I just kept remembering what you guys said about it all was just part of learning how to sail.
Today it all came together! We had a blast!
We went out in with a wind report of 5 to 10 knots. Threatening clouds moved out and clear skies moved in. I asked her to man the helm while I raised the sails. She didn’t let go of the tiller until we got back to the dock. Wind direction allowed us to run beam reaches of a mile or so across the bay and back for a couple of hours. Steady winds allowed us to hone our skills while the occasional puff kept us on our toes.
Today’s sail was what we were looking for. The sweet spot. Relaxing, exciting, just plain fun.
Thanks for listening but mostly thanks helping us get there!
PS - Photos were taken with my iPhone inside a waterproof case called an Aquapack.
This forum really helped to keep me on track in preparing the Newport. I got a lot of good information and great suggestions, especially when I was going overboard with my worrying about fiberglass cracks, motor and bracket.
This past Saturday we arrived in Long Beach Island for a week’s vacation to focus on sailing. I had only taken the Newport out once prior and that was a real learning experience. I was looking forward to some good sailing, increasing my skills and getting my wife involved.
On Sunday the Newport PO helped me launch and we had a good sail of about 5 miles to Love Ladies, where we had rented a house on a lagoon. After we docked I was busy putting some stuff away when I turned around and the Admiral was already on board, ready for a sail. The three of us went out but the increasing winds took the fun out of it so we called it a day quickly.
Later that evening the wind died down so the Admiral and I went out for the first time by ourselves. Very light winds proved to be a chore for us newbies. I did learn to keep the motor running and use it when needed to power through tacks. It wasn’t much fun but I just kept remembering what you guys said about it all was just part of learning how to sail.
Today it all came together! We had a blast!
We went out in with a wind report of 5 to 10 knots. Threatening clouds moved out and clear skies moved in. I asked her to man the helm while I raised the sails. She didn’t let go of the tiller until we got back to the dock. Wind direction allowed us to run beam reaches of a mile or so across the bay and back for a couple of hours. Steady winds allowed us to hone our skills while the occasional puff kept us on our toes.
Today’s sail was what we were looking for. The sweet spot. Relaxing, exciting, just plain fun.
Thanks for listening but mostly thanks helping us get there!
PS - Photos were taken with my iPhone inside a waterproof case called an Aquapack.
