Missy, Glad you and Ken had a good time on the water. Check your local library for books. The two mentioned above by SemiJim will probably be there. Any bookstore will have these or similar books as well.
One advantage to getting a really small boat (a sailing
dinghy or daysailor in the 12 to 18 ft range) is that they can be rigged and launched very quickly. So you can get out on the water and have some fun without a whole lot of effort. And as others here have stated, you will really get a good feel for the helm, sailtrim, how the boat handles wind and wave, etc. On the other hand, if you're looking for something that you can live on for a weekend, or longer, then obviously you'll want something bigger. But you will want to develop your feel for the water and the wind before you take that plunge.
There are different options open for learning to sail. One is to go out with experienced sailors and learn as you go. Another is to take a more formal course through a local sailing club or university. The most formal, and usually most expensive, is to take a course from one of the formal sailing schools that are located on the big bodies of water... the Gulf, Chesapeake Bay, Virgin Islands, Lake Michigan. These are US Sailing or American Sailing Association (ASA) courses that put you on a larger boat for 3 or 4 days with an instructor where you learn alot in a short period of time. Many of the folks on Sailnet have taken some of these courses. Lots of choices that will probably engender more questions for you, but it's a fun journey.
Don't be hard on yourself, Missy. This is all for fun! There's way more to learn about sailing than any of us will ever know. That's what makes this sport such a blast. And don't worry about the 'leaning over thing.'
Even on that little C22, there's a 600 lb. chunk of iron dangling down below that will keep the boat from tipping over. When you read a little more about sailboats, and get a little more experience on the water, that heeling over will be something you look forward to.
I'm thrilled that you guys got to go sailing today.
It's the most fun you'll ever have at 5 mph.
