New Sailor advice

orlowsks · #1 (**permalink**) 12-09-2008

Happened upon a 1970 Cal 21. The guy who owned it passed away and his wife had no idea what to do with this boat, so she donated to the boy scouts where it sat for the last 5 years. I noticed the boat sitting in a empty lot. It was quite dirty and the trailer tires were flat. I asked around to see who the owner was and after a couple of weeks, I got in contact with the boy scouts. They said to make an offer. So I and a friend went and floated the boat and checked thru the hardware (Now i know its called rigging). It came with 6 sails, which the only one that has a hole is the spinnaker (quarter size hole). The boat didn't leak so I figured I would offer a couple of hundred dollars (in case all the parts weren't there or I missed something). They accepted the offer and it was ours. Aired up the tires and took it home. It came with the owners manual so we were able to piece together the rigging and get it ready for the water. We have used it a couple of dozen times this summer with not to many problems. There is a lot of rigging that I don't know how to use. A guy on the lake said that someone had set it up for singlehanded operation, so some of the rigging doesn't match the owners manual. I guess what asking is the ok for a new sailor? Is the boat ok to use on the Great Lakes? How to determine what some of the rigging is for. Any advice for a new sailor. Thank you all for your help in advance

sailingdog · #2 (**permalink**) 12-09-2008

Orlowsks-

You'll probably hear from a guy on this forum named Sailaway21. He's got the same boat and sails it regularly on the great lakes IIRC. He's good egg...pick his brains for all you can. Also, highly recommend you read the POST in my signature to help you get the most out of your time here. Welcome to the asylum. Sailaway is one of the main inmates.

Sailormann · #3 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

S'way can indeed provide you with lots of useful information regarding the Cal 21 - but he is not to be trusted as far as anything else goes. If he should suggest meeting at some point, make sure there are others around and keep all sharp objects far away from his grasp - particularly if you accept that occasionally people to the political left of Mussolini have some logical ideas.

Probably safer to buy an owner's manual.

Good luck

sailortjk1 · #4 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

I have sailed on this boat, given the right weather window, yes she would be a fun boat for the Great Lakes. Just becareful and watch and listen to the weather forecast carefully, as i am sure you have been told, the GL's can change in a heart beat and can get very nasty waves bulding. It can be blowing a nice calm 5 - 10 one minute and gusting to 30 a few hours later, than change back again all in the same day.

Where are you currnetly located?
We might be close enough to arrange a rendezvous.

We can work on that rigging with you, but its a pretty basic boat, not a lot of bells and whistles at least in the standard set up.

Good luck.

sailingdog · #5 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

I'm surprised that SWAY hasn't replied to this thread yet...

sailortjk1 · #6 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

Don't tell anybody but I think he is finally getting some remodeling done.

sailingdog · #7 (**permalink**) 12-12-2008

I'll believe that when he posts photos of the kitchen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailortjk1

Don't tell anybody but I think he is finally getting some remodeling done.

sailaway21 · #8 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008

I believe I've communicated with the above poster via e-mail.

Giulietta · #9 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Sailaway21. He's got the same boat and sails it regularly

not true...he has one, but doesn't sail much....

sailaway21 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-13-2008

We're out sailing while the Portagee's cowering on the dock shivering. It just takes us longer to get our boat in because in the spring time we do our own work on it instead of paying some Frenchmen to work on it. We feel better about that.