Who Taught You to Sail?

[Bob Robeson]

My dad in the '60's in a Victory 21

My dad (a Navy Man)taught me to sail in the 50/60's. He had many a sailboat from the 8 ft Sabot's to a Lighting, Lito 14's and a Victory, catamaran's and even outriggers. But it is the Victory that I remember the best. I can remember waiting for the small craft advisory to go sailing the Victory, rail down and away we go, big fun.The Victory had no engine, so we had to sail to and from the slip. That training sure comes in handy when the engine on our c-36 does not run.As teenager/young adult, when I first started buying my own boats, it was the Litto 14 and then a Victory. Here it is 40 years later, and still buying sail boats. Ya, I have had a few power boats, for skiing and fishing and even living aboard, but it is sailing that I crave.I learned about racing aboard the Victory.I think I learned more about sailing in the 3 or 4 years on that boat than the whole rest of my time sailing.If seems that you first learn TO sail, then spend the rest of your life perfecting HOW to sail.Bob Emerald OdysseaC-36

 

[Ed Smith]

Standley Lake, Denver, Colorado

Joined the Community Sailing Club and had an indoctrination ride of 30 minutes and then the Young feloow got out and left me to my own devices and shortly I learned how to capsize and how to recover. I spent my first few weeks on a Sunfish and after being tested on basics (points of sail, right of way, rigging) had some shore school and then started doing figure eights around a pair of bouys. We went through a series of levels with pre-tests before and exams after meeting time and skill requirements for each. Levels were helmsman, advanced helmsperson, and skipper. We were first limited to low winds and then greater than 8 knots and finnaly to 12 to 18 knots with performance sailboats such as Suma, Laser, Force V, then the hobie cats 16 and 18. We had a Buccaneer with spinnaker and that came last after many hours of dry capsize practice. By the way, I was 61 at the time and that was in 1998. I usually visit Mazatlan in October and in 1998 I took the ASA Bsixc keelboat course. In 1999 I purchased the Hunter 170 and spent may through November in Corpus Christi, Tx on the Bay. I Had the bottom painted and docked the boat in the CC Marina at the MORF dock (that's Micro Ocean Racing Fleet) with the other smaller boats. I was at the dock every morning and was on the water shortly and unless winds were over force 4, I stayed out there 6 to 10 hours every day. I did capsize once there and we had fun getting the mast out of the mud of which there is about 4 feet in the Marina. I also took the Cruising and Bareboat charter course on a Morgan 46 while there. I had the great fun of getting my boat throgh a hurricane and lost the mast just above the spreaders. I amd now enjoying Lake sailing and it is much different here. I didn't mention the time at Standley Lake when we had a little bout with Micro Bursts and there were a dozen Sunfishes on the Lake and we all were turtled and had to hang out in the water until the winds died. No one was injured and the winds only lasted a half hour but it was a mite scary. Reports indicated wind speeds of and in excess of 72 knots. I know to stay away from leeward shores especially rocky or other dangerous types such as Dams. I have suffered broken halyards, rudders, tillers, and suffered loosened knots and unintentional Gybes when wind shifts caught me napping. I learned how to rig a preventer, when to wear harness and always a PFD. I keep a throw rope and a knife and spares of most everything I can. I have learned not to concern myself with what I should like to have with me, but what can I do with what I have. Most importantly, I love it.I am now moored in Macon, Georgia. I Sailed on Lake Lure in NC and Buggs Island Lake in VA this summer. Trailering is a great deal of fun. I want to charter in the Carribean soon around December to April.

 

[the Pirate of Sha-lin]

Still Teaching Me

Dad started teaching my sister & me how to sail a Scorpion (Sunfish type)at Long Beach Island NJ. For a summer, every possible weekend he rented this 14ft Scorpion, and at the end of the summer, he bought the boat and took it home. He's still teaching me 31 years later (and beating me racing). The best teacher is to get out there.I have a C-22, I wanna C-25, -27 or -28. Se ya on the water.the Pirate

 

[jkleid@excite.com]

It cost me, but was worth it

about 20 years ago, and of course I can't remember from which manufacturer, discount lessons (10) we given to 4 of us at a time. With the completion of the course, we were given a free day of sailing, encourged to bring the family, and then hopefully buy a boat.

 

[John McDaris]

No one

I had a freind who had Melges MC Scow that he wanted to sell so he could buy a newer one, I went one time with him and bought it. Just learned by trial and error. Now I am sailing the seven seas.

 

[Mike Pajewski]

Navy Sailing Course

I took a Navy sailing course while my submarine was being overhauled in Portsmouth, NH. Mike PajewskiH26 "LOON"

 

[Joe Passanisi]

My father taught me

My father taught me how to sail. We switched from power boating to sailing in 1976. My father learned to sail from my grandfather in Scicily. If you ever watched the movie The Old Man And The Sea. That was my grandfathers life in Scicily during WWII. My Grandfather even looked like Spencer Tracey. Any way I purchased a 9 foot Boston Whaler Sqaull when I was a kid and enjoyed racing it. Now have a Catalina 27 and my father has his own Charter business in Florida.

 

[Rod Leonard]

Self taught

Rented a cottage in july 86 with a water logged sun fish sailed it ever day for a week " learned how to swim real good". Bought a Cal 25 Labor Day of 86. Bought a Hunter 31 Labor day of 87 Bought a Legend 45 April 1 2000. Started racing in 88 got BUTT KICKED! Starting KICKING BUTT 1990. Never Looked Back. Yes the 45 is fast, kick Tripp 40's wow. Did lot's of reading and on the water sailing. Including storms and fly biteing days. Also found some freinds that were pretty good.

 

[Nancy Vanden Oever]

Husband taught me

My husband & I got stuck on Lake Michigan for 24 hous in our power boat and said that would never happen again as we decided to buy a sailboat. Best decision we ever made. My husband read books & watched videos. Then we bought a C34 and with trial & error he taught me how to sail. I am still learning.My husband is a great teacher although he is still learning himself. Now we decided to sail around the world. The year 2003 is our goal.

 

[Steve]

".......tied to an air mattress"

My two siblings and me, all had the the "pleasure" of being tied to air mattresses and being stuffed under the bow of our family boat. First a Seagull, than a Rebel.I have been sailing since I was three months old, and I just grew up with it. I can't imagine not knowing how to sail. (psssssst: I don't think the "mattress method" is an approved Coast Guard Floatation device!!!!!) (this was also 43 years ago and they didn't have all those fancy PFD's back then)

 

[Les Murray]

Some of everything

I guess I just picked it up. Did some lake sailing on those little Sunfish when I was a kid. Then I got a Hobie Cat with the wife for lake sailing in Texas. Did just about everything to it but sink it. I just bought my first keelboat this year. I took a couple of courses through J-World to give me more confidence plus make bareboat chartering easier. I would certainly agree that taking a basic keelboat course is good for learning the things right. I learned more about terminoligy, knots, and seamanship than just sail handling.Les MurrayH20 Limerick

 

[Dick Endicott]

American Red Cross

While in the USAF, I took an American Red Cross course at Lake Cheimsee, Germany.

 

[J. Harlan]

On, Who tought me

My Father taught me how to sail. He had a Hobie 16 and was active in the fleet 21 racing scene in Calif.

 

[ramona]

a fish

Ron Fish that is. We(my husband,myself and our daughter who was 16 months at the time) learned on Dexter Lake in very very light winds in January. The rest was trial and error and lots of tacks and a few jibes. How far is it okay to heel? That was approx. 12 years ago and the daughter loves to sail and so do we.

 

[Scott]

Nosey questions

Started out sailboarding in the early 1980's, naturaly moved to "big boats" around 1987, self taught (with lots of books and lots of nosey questions) and loving every minute of it!

 

[Eric Lorgus]

One class, one docking king, & experience

I had some experience sailing sunfishes from years ago, but when I bought my 87H285 last year, I decided my sunfish experience wasn't going to be enough.So I signed up for ASA 101 (basic keelboat), a 3 day class taught on Capri 22's. That gave me the foundation I was looking for, except I still had anxiety attacks every time I tried to dock. I think I became a form of entertainment at the marina, as I always seemed to draw a crowd when I came in to dock, and many, many people gathered to throw lines to me, etc. (I later realized these were the owners of nearby boats, and they were also there to pray that I'd miss their boats, which I did).So I went back to the sailing school and hired a private instructor to give me two hours of docking therapy. Kim Richards, the owner of BaySail, recommended a guy whose name I've forgotten, but who she termed "the Docking King." After my two hours with the king, docking has been a pleasure ever since. My greatest teacher has been experience. I'm the kind that learns by doing. When I was having impeller problems late last season, I learned how to kill the engine and drop the anchor in record time. Sometimes experience is learned by watching others. There are some great sailors out there, and some damn fools. There is much to be learned from both.

 

[Eric]

Grand Pa

My grandfather taught me to sail 47 years ago on what I recall as a Lightning. I was 8 years old at the time. He gave me my first boat when I was 4 years old, a rowboat tied to the dock which I would row while wearing a life jacket. Perhaps of interest, I didn't learn to swim until I was 11. I always wanted to be in the boat not outside it. Still not bored with sailing and still chugging along and hope to keep at it for at least another 30 years.

 

[Chris Bloor]

Learn to Sail

I grew up on power boats -- our last was a 25-foot Chris Craft cabin cruiser on Lake Erie. Unbeknownst to my siblings and me, my parents had a secret desire to sail. After we graduated from high school, they sold the Chris Craft, chartered several sailboats to learn, then bought an S-2. Traded that for an Irwin 30, and they now own an Irwin 38. Sailed with them for many years on Lake Erie, but with dad saying "See that white house on the shore? Aim for that!" But I never knew WHY I was aiming for that!When I met Bob, we found we both thought we'd like to sail, so we took a Dept. of Natural Resources class -- great class, by the way. The instructors were members of our (now) sailing club, and told us to come down to the races on Wednesday night and volunteer as crew. Best way to learn, and we're still doing it five years later -- crewing and learning! We bought our Beneteau 23.5 and after two years bought the C-42 we have now. We still love it and are still learning. Bob likes racing more than I do, so he's looking into buying a faster boat. As long as it has a bed, a potty and a stove, this "cruiser" will be happy!Happy Sailing!Chris Bloor & Bob SheppardS/V Great Escape IIIC-42 #372

 

[Dick Liebl]

self taught

While camping with 3 girls we found ourselves often near water. 1st boat a Snark, cartoppable, read the instruction book=captized many times, especially jibbing. Next a 13'Lockley & more books to read=less captizing. When girls got big used the camper less, sold it & bought O'Day 25=more reading as now we're talking ocean. Took Coast Guard Aux. boating course, both wife & I. Stopped captizing. Will never forget the thrill of finding Nantucket in limited vis without Loran. Traded up to H33, with Loran, but still like to navigate. Like others who wrote in, thanks, suffered broken rudders, torn sails, thank God for some machanical ability. Sailing has taught me patience, an understanding of weather & more appreciation for a blue sky day than anything else could. Oh, I also learned how to windsurf but never got good at jibs. Now teaching 11 year old grand daughter who has her State of Conn Operators Permit already. There have been moments of sheer terror but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Friends have gotten into stinkpots but quickly got out, we've been sailing for over 20 years. Remember you can learn just about anything from reading. Have to admit thou, that it took several readings and much practice to understand that Loran and program it correctly. Good Luck.

 

[Greg Jones]

Mentor

Gary,I was taught to sail my O'Day 26 by a neighbor who has given up his sailbaot several years earlier in favor of a motor boat(he regrets the decision). He really enjoyed getting back out under sail and was terrific at patiently teaching me the ins and outs of sailing all the while re-kindling his own passion in the sport. I think it has been the best way for me to learn. Each time out he would instruct me on a new technique and reinforce the things we did the previous time out. He pushed me to do things that I might not have done on my own such as sailing out of our crowded harbor by tacking in and out of all of the moored boats.All in all I've learned a lot in about three months under his tutelage and look forward to our next trip out. So look around your neighborhood and see if you can come up with soomeone like I did.Good Luck and Good Sailing.