Any "sailors" out there?

[handball]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Hi all you sailors out there,<br />After 30 years of power boats I bought a 17 sloop just to try out sailing. Well after the sloop and reading untold numbers of cruising books my wife said why dont we get a sailboat! It did not take very long to sell the power boat we had and we started to look at sailboats. Sue liked the 30 ft. catalina , but I found a 1981 hunter 36 designed by cheribini. what a beautifull boat that turned out to be. We sailed her from n.y. to maine, and also sailed her for 5 week vacations to chessapeake bay and the surrounding area and back to n.y.After about 6 years we decided to look for a boat we could retire on and live aboard for extensive periods.We found a c and c landfall 43 that was for sale at alden yacht brokers in newport rhode island.After making an offer that the owner accepted we were now the proud owners of a landfall 43.About 2 years later I retired and we loaded up the boat and headed south for the adventure of a lifetime. We traveled the i.c.w. down the east coast and ended up in palm beach area in a place called lake worth. This large bay was home for many boats for the winter. I started to meet some of the other sailors anchored nearby waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf stream to the abaco islands.To shorten this story a bit we cruised the abacos with 4 other boats and loved every minute of it.I hope that some of you fellows get to have similar adventures and know that I will never forget those great times . <br />We have since scaled back to a 32 ft erickson and enjoyed that boat very much but did mostly daysailing.Good luck to all of you and live life to its fullest.<br />Bill

 

[Oldsaltydog]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Sailing -- must have big bucks for a large enough sailboat ; lots of hassels with the rigging, bottom, and sails ; can not really trailer a decent size (the MAST!) ; stiff slip fees; really dependent on the weather; your luck better outreach your skills ; and you must like to enjoy having plenty of punishment in the process . So if you are a millionaire masochist or an obsessed sailboat addict down to your last thin dime -- GOOD LUCK!!! ENJOY!!! KEEP ON DUCKING!!! (Been there, done that!!!)

 

[sailor3X7]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I'm currently building a 15' weekender. I have the hull constructed, fiberglassed and I am getting close to painting the hull. Then I will turn her over and build the deck and cabin. Building is great fun. I attended the Annapolis Sailing School in 1988 and got my basic sailing certificate. What I love about sailing is that it is so very nautical.

 

[Mikeomni1]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

If this video doesn't get your blood fired up to sail, you need to be nailed inside a wooden box.<br /><br /> http://www.catsailor.net/images/Videos/Spitfire vid.wmv <br /><br />This is why I sail.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Mike

 

[Raghauler]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Another sailer here. I love all boats, stinkpots included. Right now I keep a '74 O'Day 22 on a lake locally, and use a Sunfish as a car-topper for my annual pilgamige to N. Michigan. Been sailing most of my 42 years. I love it... keeps the fire in my soul stoked.

 

[SoulWinner]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Mikeomni,<br /><br />Dude, man...wow. Thank you ever so much for the link to the video. Haveing never been sailing, but reading Sail and Cruising World for about 6-7 years, and spending hours dreaming about sailing, and hours down at the many marinas around here looking at sail boats, and wondering what it would be like to be out there under sail....well, that video made my heart race! Thanks dude!

 

[Mikeomni1]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Soulwinner, if you enjoyed that, here is some more of the same. about 7 mins. worth.<br /><br /> http://www.spitfiresailing.org.uk/data/spitfiredemo_256.wmv <br /><br />Be advised that the folks on these videos are sailing on the ragged edge of control. Catamarans don't have to be sailed as radical as these are. But it is a blast to ride on the edge.<br /><br />1J3:16 back atcha.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Mike

 

[Amgine0]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I love it when a stink potter comes over to insult sailing, and brings up money.<br /><br />Last summer I spent $6.00 on gas, plus two of those little propane bottles at the start of the season, and $600 for a slip for the season. I was the only sailboat in the marina. 32 nights on the water, anchored in a variety of spots and only once sharing the anchorage. Sailed almost every other day, but never left the dock on weekends (I hate wake.)<br /><br />During haulout several of my dockmates asked where I'd been all season... "your boat never left the dock!" They had all spent hundreds of dollars in fuel, guest moorage at other marinas up and down Lake Pepin, etc. Plus the same marina costs as I had. But they only had 14 weekends of fun; I'd had all the other days of summer.<br /><br />Oh, and I still had a quart or two of fuel left, and an unused propane bottle. Oh yah, you gotta be rich to own a sailboat. <smirk>

 

[zdmaster2k]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I'm a dinghy instructor, havn't found much about dinghies around on here?!!(although those Spitfire vids are AWESOME!)

 

[Rogeve]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Originally posted by Mikeomni1:<br /> If this video doesn't get your blood fired up to sail, you need to be nailed inside a wooden box.<br /><br /> http://www.catsailor.net/images/Videos/Spitfire vid.wmv <br /><br />This is why I sail.<br /><br />Regards,<br />Mike

 

[Rogeve]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

That's magnificent! Thanks for the experience. I'll try to produce a video of large ketch sailing in the Baltic archipelagos next summer to show another side of sailing. Both are wonderful.

 

[uncwillie]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

i gave up on powerboats and speed when doc said you have Lupus, take a year off and relax a bit. <br />Bought a Comet 16 footer and sailed it from my Brewster Cape Cod brook into Cape Cod bay for exercise until i learned that my sailing friends were right; it ain't how fast you can get there it's how much fun you can have doing it! <br /> 10 years down the road, now in Venezuela, i have sailed from Mexico to Turkey and had a wonderful life in the places between. I highly recommend the 'sailing life' for anyone adventurous enough to hack it. It's far more than you imagine! jim

 

[55Crestliner]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I've been sailing since I was 14, I'm now 35. Started out on a family friends' 23 foot Coronado. For Graduation my dad got me a 12 foot dingy. I think it's a Boomerang, but I've never seen another like it. It started out as a single sail, unstayed mast, with rings going around the mast for the sail. It has a front deck on it, (air chamber) and a rear chamber. Since I've owned it I created a new mast from aluminum oval shaped tubing. I attached a track and made slugs so the sail can go up and down and have spreaders. The mast is rigged like a catamaran, it rotates. It also has a roller furler jib, and a conventional spinaker - all built by me. Several years ago I added length wise seats that are made of styrofoam and covered in fiberglass. THese gave wonderfull floatation - if it tips over, you just right it and it has about 1/2 of water in the bottom. It's a fun boat, but it's very small - I'm quite tall.<br /><br />10 years ago I met a guy with a 70 foot racing sailboat...<br />

<br /> http://pic10.picturetrail.com/VOL314/1172524/2830958/34527180.jpg[/IMG] <br />(yes, it was repainted - it's now blue.)<br />I raced on this boat several years, and then he bought a second 70 foot boat that we now race...<br />

<br />

<br /><br />Just this weekend in the "Round the County" race (2 day race that goes around all the San Juan Islands in Washington State) we set a new record for us with this boat, we saw 18.3 knots of boat speed - 19.5 over the botom with gps. We won the race, it is our 5th win of that race - 2 times with the old boat, 3 with the new one.<br /><br />Now I have a 1950's aluminum 12 foot runabout with a '57 Johnson 18 horse. (check my sig.) <br />I love both sailing and flying around in my classic runabout - they both are great!

 

[Laoch]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I sail / race(under restoration) a Trias (very similar to an Etchells 22) on Biscayne Bay as well as crew on PHERF class beasts and ocassionally on J-24's. The Trias was origianlly a German Lake racer. Vahine was origianlly white with a turquoise wl stripe, now its getting its high gloss, Dark blue color to go with its teak and mahogany deck and cockpit and a red - white waterline. Very light boat too...and extremely wet! Here's the link to the Class site. http://www.trias-kv.de/ <br /><br />Cheers

 

[Kaicarno]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I've been sailing every summer (June, july, august) since I was about 10. <br /> My experiance of sailing is almost exclusevly the Baltic and the Swedish east coast. I really reccomend it to any beginner sailors out there. It's lovely in the summer, plenty of islands and safe anchorages. Cheap mooring, good facilities etc. The good thing with the Baltic is that you don't need to worry about the tide and not about the big waves either. <br /> My father has a 40' Trimaran that used to sail in the OSTAR, unfortunatly it's been on land for a while due to my father not having time for maintenance etc, not in too bad a nick though.<br />My plan is to restore her after I've been to university and then I'll be off. She's a perfect boat, plenty of headspace, storage and easy to sail singlehanded, as well as safe. Fast too of course which is good when you need to scout around the edges of them storms =)<br /><br />Who knows, 4 years from now, when I'm 23 I might have a chance to meet all you sailors out there!

 

[adelaidebo]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Great stuff. Gotta say I like both sides of the fence. Most of my experince with boats has been sailing, firsty Jubilees in Melbourne then after mving, getting married and kids nothing 'til this year when we picked up an old Heron and joined a local dinghy sailing club (for the kids, of course!!).<br /><br />Dreaming of a bigger boat, something we can overnight on and sail on the lower Murray as well as the ocean, but also love the old wooden speedboats of the 50's and 60's. Different beast, I know, but hey, we get our kicks where we can!<br /><br />Bo.

 

[perserd]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I bought my first boat ever - 22' Catalina '71. Swing-keel with trailer. Going to sail the Caloosahatchee in Ft. Myers / Cape Coral, FL area. My sails are being repaired, etc. at SailCare in PA and I just found a 10 hp '76-'77 Chrysler that needs rebuilt. I havn't been out yet, but am getting closer and closer. <br /><br />Other people on my canal have power boats but never take them out b/c they're spending $100+ each trip in fuel. I know - I borrowed one once.

 

[90skichallenger]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I have sailed and motored for many years. I just love boats..all boats...Started off in sailboats and crewed a 30' ultr-lite Racing Sloop (foredeck) in competition.I have also been a BSA sailing instructor. The only sailboat I ever had was a 10' penguin that I r&r'ed. I usually just crewed someone elses. I own power right now because we love watersports, and a sailboat is a mite slow to pull a skier. I still sail with friends and love it all.<br />

 

[Triton II]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

I love sailing... always have, ever since I can remember, and always will. We've owned a Sabot, a Flying Ant and a Heron. Now looking at trailer sailers such as a Ross 780 or similar. My three boys also love to sail and really enjoy racing, especiall the eldest who sails a 420. However, I also own a stinkboat for skiing and fishing and enjoy it too. Basically, if you can get wet in it, I love it!

 

[CEA]

Re: Any "sailors" out there?

Just found this site this evening.<br />I recently bought a small 15' sailboat for the lake I live at. I also own a '72 22' Bristol that I sail on Lake Michigan. I'm always looking for someone to sail with. I only sail on week days as I too dislike the crowds. Also I work weekends. If any sailors out there are interested in going out next summer let me know. I'm always open for company.