Who taught you to sail?

[Evan Wright]

A WINDSURFER wanting to share the experience

While I was exposed to sailing as a kid, riding on my Boy Scoutmaster's 36' Alden, I became hooked when I learned windsurfing. I met my wife (also an avid sailor), then we took the EXCELLENT Coast Guard Auxilary classes in navigation, seamanship, boating safety... then bareboat chartered for several years, until we did the major plunge, and bought our first bonafide sailboat... a 1977 Catalina 30 (Mk I). The CGA class was $27 (for book and material). The same course at UCLA Extension was $300. The combo of hands-on and course instruction was the best...

 

[Bill Orth]

Adventures in Paradise

I'll be giving away my age, but when I was young I watched a show called" Adventures in Paradise" where a schooner traveled week after week to new island destinations in the pacific. I always dreamed of one day doing the same. One night on my way home from work in Milwaukee, I stopped at a local sporting goods store and on display upon entering was the most beautiful sunfish sailboatI could imagine. I lived in a garden apartment at the time, without a garage, and fought off the urge as long as I could. But after stopping to admire that boat every night for the following weeks and dreaming of the high seas, I couldn't hold out and finally one night I came home to the apartment with the boat firmly attached to the top of my Olds Cutlass."You bought a sailboat", my wife exclaimed. "You don't even know how to sail!" "That's the beauty of it" I replied, "It came with a book!" That week I poured over the instructional guide at every opportunity and I was quite confident that by the following weekend I had a firm command on the basic tennants of sailing. Out to Pewaukee lake we went. It could have been an omen of things to come when we dropped the brand new boat which had never touched the water onto the asphalt parking lot and damaged the back corner but I was too excited to let it get me down. Out on the water I went and after a somewhat rough start, I actually got to feeling comfortable with tacking to and fro and comming about. Time to impress Linda with what a great idea this boat really was by taking her for her first sail.Well it didn't go quite as planned. The first time the boat "healed a bit" she got histerical. In the ensuing confusion I completely forgot my lessons, and to make along story short,I rammed into a motor yacht of the thirty foot variety whic was docked at one of the piers. Needles to say, the owner was not the happiest camper in the world, but after hearing my tale of woe,and making sure there was minimal damage,he quickly forgave me with a roar of laughter.That was more than twenty five years ago,and I have been hooked ever since. Fortunately my sailing skills have improvedsomewhat over the years. I have not run into any other boats with the 25.5, although I did have a problem with a bridge support in high seas one evening while sharpening my heavy weather skills, but that as they say is another story. So,what have we learned here? I believe the answer is found on page one of the sunfish "How to Sail" primer,"WHEN IN DOUBT, LET IT OUT"

 

[Rick Ellis]

Sentosa

Ah yes Singapore!! Great Island. Been there many times. Favorite spot Sentosa Island.

 

[Scott Mathey]

Learing process spooky!

· I learned how to sail from laying on the dock, body wracked with pain from water skiing too much and in envy of the sail boat that would go by every so often. It looked like a great deal of painless fun. I went on to spying on sailboats with binoculars when I would be out trolling and figured out the basic physics by watching them. I went on to reading a great deal in the winter about sailing and finally put the ski boat up for sale and bought a good sound forgiving sailboat. After that it was trial and error,(heavy on the error part) The lake where I sail is very gusty and a harsh teacher. I wish I had started earlier than I did. I have done a lot of trailer sailing and each time is a great adventure.

 

[Carol M. Davis]

Up Before Dawn with Sir Louis at Mountain Lake

At 14 I was surrounded by friends at Mountain Lake in Troy, PA who had been sailing Sunfish, Sailfish and dinghys since birth! Sir Louis (Cerlian) from France sailed every day with his children, Margot and David. He asked me if I wanted to learn, and I jumped at the chance. Up before dawn, I would help him rig the 14 foot Ghost, learn my knots and be ready to go with the first hint of wind over the water as the sun rose. We'd sail all morning. It was here I learned not only how to read the wind, and handle the sheets, but how to receive from a father-figure who loved to sail and loved teaching me how to sail. 43 years (and several more formal classes)later I finally made the time for my first boat, a 1979 O'Day 23, which I bought the first week in May. A picture of him with is arm around me sits on the bookshelf in the cabin. Sir Louis gave me much more than my love for sailing. And sailing gives me much more than fun.

 

[Frank Arndorfer]

Solo

I was self-taught. Don't know of anyone else in the universe who would have had the patience.

 

[Lysle Seelig]

I had always wanted to learn to sail...

For years, I had dreamed of learning to sail and owning my own boat but never acted on it. Then, a friend I was doing a play with, invited members of the cast to go sailing. It began as a convenient excuse to get to know another member of the cast but quickly grew into an obsession and beyond. I fell in love with my wife and sailing at the same time. Problem was the invites were drying up, the fellow’s wife we sailed with retired and he was no longer in need of crew. After going almost a whole season without sailing the wife turned to me and said, "We have to get a boat!" That was all I needed. We bought a Catalina 27 and with what we learned from our friend and books we are still learning the finer points of sailing. After 6 years, we are doing pretty well but this season or next we plan on taking lessons from a local school.Regards,Lysle

 

[Ramsay Selden]

My Dad and Uncles...

...taught me to sail when I was a kid. This was in the Midwest with lots of lakes, and we were always messing around with boats. They all had learned as kids, so they taught me. Then, I REALLY learned by spending hours out by myself in an 8' pram.Ramsay Selden

 

[Paul Michaelis]

Sea Scouts

Sailing was one of the things learned as a Sea Scout. The years from age 14 that I spent involved with Sea Scouting taught the importance of friends, navigation, seamanship, piloting, boat handling, respect for the sea and self-reliance. Strengths that have supported me throughout my career. It's a great way to learn, so If your kids have the chance to join this organization, encourage them.

 

[Julia]

Boston Community Sailing Charles River

I had a great Counselor in school she got me into the sailing program way back in the fifties. I learned with a group of other kids to sail sloops on the Charles River; with college students from MIT, Harvard, BC, NEU,HC,and several Prep Schools. We sailed every morning and afternoon. With so many kids it was hard to have tiller time; but you learned more than you thought. Later I took lessons in Germany there everyone has to take a test. I learned even more. Still learning now. I think youth programs are great they deserve to be supported.Fair winds,

 

[Richard Granum]

University of Georgia Community Programs

I learned to sail in a 12 hour community program offered at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education and taught by a member of the Lanier Sailing Club, Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta Georgia. I was concerned about two things, righting the boat if I overturned and getting back to the dock. Both occured in the first wet lesson. As a result of the class I purchaced a Sunfish which I used on lakes near Athens, GA. I have since completed an Elderhostle program taught by Jerry "Rusty" Davidson, Orange Beach, Alabama, and offered by the University of South Alabama, Mobile. I now live in Wisconsin and occasionally sail on Lake Onalaska. I am consindering buying a Sunwing, a 20 ft, 4 sail boat, in Aalesund Norway. I visit there once or twice a year. Is anyone familiar with the Sunwing?

 

[rudy]

world sailor

Miami Sailing Club was the place I learned with, under tutilage of an Argentinian world class sailor. Classes at nite 3 times a week and then 1/2 day sailing on saturdays.The sailings were fun and tough at the same time since we went out come rain ,shine, thunder, no wind or 25 knots.the vessel was a racing 26ft solin , no motor back up, no bilges, old sails, old sheets ,blistered fiberglass, no seats and way too many students in the vessel. Do it again?? in a heart beat it was the most fun I had in years.it doesn't fail now, everytime I make a mistake I remember that Argentinian yelling at us like 3rd graders.went out and bought myself a hunter 1994 / 29.5and can't wait for the week ends and holidays to get her out in the Atlantic off the coast of key largo.

 

[Rich]

Old Man and the Lake

Our very first boat was a Catalina 22 (like thousands of others it seems). We purchased it from a 65 yr. old Navy retiree named Bob. He had about as much patience as a rhinoceros, but still was a good teacher. He was nice enough to take us out for 5 lessons, before we made the actual purchase. We learned the "basics," names of parts, etc. The kicker was that for all five lessons we had to put the mast up and take it down every time. That was probably the most valuable lesson of all. Of course, with it being July in Texas you can imagine it was not the most fun we had ever had! We still keep in touch with Bob and invite him on our 25' O'day but I think it might make his blood pressure go too high...

 

[Mike Whalen]

The guy who sold me that first boat

My first boat was (is I still have it) an AquaFinn. Its a sunfish with twice the "cockpit" area. I found it in the newspaper and called the guy. He said call the first day that looks like wind and I'll show it to you. I did. He had a lakefront home up for sale with a dock in a narrow cove. Now this guy was about 6 foot and 220 or 230lbs. I was 5'10" and about 200 or so. He showed me how to rig it. Then he and I BOTH climed aboard and he tacked out of the cove. He explained how the process worked and we sailed half a mile out into the lake. He says, "Got the idea?" Sure I said. "Okay," he says, "you sial it back." I did. We loaded on the roof of my 20 year old toyota wagon and tried to drive up the 60 degree track from the dock to his house. After spinning the tires halfway up then sliding a 100 yards back down with nothing but water in the rearview, he hooked up his jeep and pulled me out. I gave him $500 and have sailed since. I've added a 12' dingy and an O'Day 25 to the fleet. I have a friend with a sunfish who still tries to teach me. He explained how to say tiller to lee coming about. I still put the tiller to lee and yell duck. It works.Later,Mike

 

[Harley]

A friend ask if I had ever sailed

I learned while ststioned in Hawaii at the special services beach. They had a lecture class out lining the basics, then you sailed with an instructor until the instructor would let you solo. But the real learning began when i taught the sailing class shortly after I had learned to sail.

 

[Judy]

Man Overboard.....

When I first met my husband it took him almost three hours to ask me for a date. When the conversation turned to sailing and he mentioned he had a sailboat, I practically asked myself out on a date with him on his boat. A few dates into our relationship he took me for a sail and as we were well underway he proceeded to jump overboard! Instinct took over and I managed to maneuver the boat and turn it completely around to sail back to "save" him! My sailing started that day, and fortunately, our relationship continued as well!

 

[Dana Smith]

Trial by fire

In 1989 my friend Rob says 'lets buy a sail boat'.Why I ask.'Oh, I don't know, looks like a cool thing to do' he says.Have you ever sailed I asked?(long pause) yeah, (looking away)a sun fish once.Three weeks later we had a 1984 Hunter 27' tall rig, that was in August 1989. In June 1990 we entered our first race, the learning curve was straight up! We had no business being near a fleet let alone a crowded starting line. To this day my wife goes below 5 minutes before and after the starting gun. Come to think of it, she has only done one race since 1990.In 1991 Rob and I took the power squadron course, gee I didn't know all this stuff existed, 1992 will be a much better year!It was but we learned and learned and are now learning on a 1987 Hunter 31' our second season with her.We have a couple of races planned for this summer but they are of long distance type, 70+ miles. Much more forgiving races and short handed sailing is what we have learned to like the best.This is a good thread and good responces.Keep the shinny side up and have a good season------Dana

 

[Bob Cummings]

The Army.....

I first learned to sail while being deployed with the Army to the Bahamas. One of my fellow pilots had bought a laser and was selling it as he was being reassigned to a different unit. It seemed like fun even though I had no Idea how to sail. A senior officer, offered to teach me. I bought the boat and went sailing with him. Wind is wind and lift is lift whether the airfoil is a rotor blade or a sail. It wasn?t long before I had the general idea. After I was reassigned I never did sail that boat again and only recently gave the boat to a friend of mine. It was another 5 years before I sailed again. This time I was in Honduras. The Army had a small marina at Lake Yojo where they kept three JY 15?s. I sailed them twice before I returned stateside. Once home I convinced my wife that we should get a sailboat for the family. We had small children so we needed to insure it was an appropriate size and configuration. I purchased a Tanzer 26. Never having sailed a boat above 15 feet in length this was a big change for me. Have no doubt we sailed it for 2 months before we learned enough about it and how to handle the boat before we really started to relax and enjoy our time on the boat. We sailed that boat every weekend for three summers. When we received orders to go to the Chesapeake Bay area, we decided to sell the Tanzer and we purchased a 39 O?Day. We haven?t made it there yet. I have to first complete a year in Korea. We have 3 months to go but look forward to getting the boat to the bay.We learn as we go. We have our basics of sailing down but there is so much more to it. Crew dynamics is so important especially among family members. It is a rich and rewarding experience and our entire family enjoys sailing. Being an Army Aviator has prepped me well. Understanding weather, navigation, mission planning, safety and risk assessment have helped my family and I successfully learn and enjoy this great pastime

 

[Corey]

BSA All the way

The good ole Boy Scouts of America.

 

[Ed]

A better alternative

Thirty plus years ago I left Lake Worth, Florida with three friends, bound for West End, Grand Bahamas in a 24 foot power boat. After considerable engine problems, we ended up North of West End, at night and out of gas. The next morning we swam, towing the boat, 3-4 miles to the nearest island. A day later, a fisherman brought us gas. Six month later the four of us bought a 24 foot Columbia in Miami, and with no sailing experience, headed east for an extended cruise of the Bahamas. Learning to sail turned out to be a lot easier and less stressfull than learning to swim.Later, I jumped into racing with a novice crew and no prior knowledge of spinnakers, which greatly accelerated the learning process. One year skippering a race boat will teach one more about sailing than 10 years of casual sailing.