Finally pulled the sail up

[Kiwi Phil]

I have been out in the boat a couple of times, but always with the motor.
My retired friend Tony was not able to make it today to show us how to sail, so away we went to the Marina.
Anita, me and the wee bloke spent about 1 to 1.5hrs mucking around at the Marina. Anita wasn't too sure about going by ourselves. In the end, I said, "sod this for a game of soldiers, we're off".
So away we went.
The MacGregor Instruction book on how to sail told us what to do, and that's what we did. Bit nervous for the 1st few minutes, then we realised there wasn't enough breeze to blow a candle out.
What 1.5hrs of fun....we thought we were doing pretty well when we discovered that we had actually been going backward with the tide.....just sort of facing the boat to one side, then the opposite.
Thank goodness for the motor.
Next time we are going to put up the jib too.
We had a lot of pleasure in the challenge....and it is so quiet and peacful.

Cheers
Phillip

 

[LadyFish]

Re: Finally pulled the sail up

Now THAT is the face of a very happy man !!!

Congrats Phil.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Finally pulled the sail up

way to go phillip. nice lookin boat too. ya look real happy, cool.

The MacGregor Instruction book on how to sail told us what to do, and that's what we did. Bit nervous for the 1st few minutes, then we realised there wasn't enough breeze to blow a candle out

i'm no sailor myself. mostly done motor boats. but when i was a kid, the neighbor let me and some other non experienced dude take out their 17' chrysler sailboat. way cool. but like you, i'd never sailed before. least nothing with a jib. well, we went the other direction. it was real windy. we had no book. just what little idea i had of sailing. well. anyways. we just about drownd her that day. got it laid over on the side and took on a half boatload of water, maybe a quater boatload. i don't know, but a lot. then we learned to sail. had to make the self bailers work ya know. had a great time and came home alive with some sailin expereice under our belt. enjoy yer fine sailboat man.....

 

[bjcsc]

Re: Finally pulled the sail up

Good show Phil. You'll get over the nervousness. I grew up sailing and still race from time to time here in Charleston (C.O.R.A.). While I would recommend getting a book, here's a crash course and some tips:

Use the engine to get into an area unti you have enough room to feel comfortable.

Point your boat straight into the wind (head up), and slow to the minimum speed required to maintain steerage. Have someone hold your course directly into the wind.

If your jib is self-furling, raise your main first. If not, raise the jib first. Make sure the jib sheets are running through their proper block(s) and places and into the cockpit. Depending on the wind, the jib may slap about a bit, and you can sheet in enough to make it quiet. Make sure the halyard is stowed neatly.

Raise your main. Be aware of the boom while raising the main. If you must be in it's path while hoisting the main, be aware that if the person in charge of pointing into the wind comes off a little, the boom will follow. Stow the main halyard neatly against the mast and route the mainsheet to the cockpit.

Determine the direction you want to go, should be 30 degrees or so one way or the other, slack your jib and mainsheets, and fall off in that direction. Try to choose a tack you can maintain for awhile. As the sails fill, sheet them in until you are comfortable.

It's easier on you and your rig if you anticipate the wind and attempt to adjust your mainsail ahead of any maneuver. You're not racing, so err on the slack side.

Remember, except when running downwind, sailboats sail under the same principal that airplanes fly. In very light wind, you want the sails pretty flat. In normal wind, you want them full, and in heavy wind you want them flat again.

Avoid jibing unless absolutely necessary. It's dangerous and can be hard on your gear, esp./ when you're learning.

Anyway, have fun!!

 

[Plainsman]

Re: Finally pulled the sail up

That's the look of a happy man!!! Glad your getting the hang of it Phill.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Finally pulled the sail up

....and don't pi$$ into the wind