Lurker No More

[AlpineSailor]

Alright.

I joined Sailnet in Nov 06, visit here regularly, perhaps even obsessively, and I've only managed to post a half a dozen times.

Am I a looser, chump, lazy, antisocial, all of the above? Perhaps...

Anyway it's time for a belated introduction/confession.

My wife and I have a sailing problem.

We sail almost every weekend, it's a 4 and a half hour roundtrip to the lake we sail at, and we don't care.

We are pretty much broke. Yet we spend every penny of our discretionary funds in the interest of going back and forth, up and down the same body of water, over and over. This we find most rewarding.

We strive for maximum speed, for no reason, in a slow sailing club boat. My wife raced FJ's in school, so I'll blame her for this one. She likes to heel.

My 20 month old son is really surprising me with his balance on the boat. He waves bye bye to her each time we dock at the days end.

The lake we sail at is next to a 40,000+ acre forest fire. You can barley see the mountains on the waters edge on some days. Bad for the lungs, but no worse then at home where there are several fires burning within 100 miles. Ahh well then, might as well go sailing

We have been sleeping 3 (2 and 1/2 in reality the 1/2 is a 20 month old) in a 2 man tent all summer. I finally got a 4 man tent last week and can't wait to revel in the insane luxury.

We are not going to the lake this weekend. We are staying home to work on long neglected home projects. I am deeply resentful about this, a whole missed weekend!

I lust after getting my own boat, and happily waste my evening hours comparing and contrasting boats of all sorts, many wildly of of reach. I NEED my own boat, I can't explain it rationally but it's like an obsession. Maybe, just maybe we'll get a boat this winter. Santa, are you listening?

So, you'll all be hearing from me more regularly in the future. My posts will be striking, both in their lack of knowledge, alarming frequency, and focus on bulldogs, the most noble and honored of the sailing breeds.

[poltergeist]

Glad you come out of the closet and joined the other obsessed.

But seriously, that is a LOT of road time to get to water. WHEW! I complain about my hour or so.

So ... chime in some more.

Kurt

[KismetP362]

Bulldogs? Not really seeing that as a sailing breed. I have two boxers and they are great on the boat but they are a bit on the large side even on a big boat. Nothing worse than trying to tack and having the Genoa fetch up becasue the dog is sleeping on the line your trying to let free.

If your a handy guy you may want to get a damaged or sunken boat as a first step. It's a lot to learn all at once but you'll come to know the boat inside and out like no one other than a builder could know. Also keeps you busy.

Ryan

[merlin2375]

Great post

Sailing = passion!

[KismetP362]

[teshannon]

I hate to do this because I saw what happened on the last thread on bulldogs but we too take our bulldog sailing whenever it's not too blasted hot on the Chesapeake. She gets around the boat pretty good but immediately goes to sleep from the motion and wakes up about the time we return to the slip. I guess she enjoys it? Anyway, they sink like rocks so she's always tethered to a jackline and has a lifejacket on. Good luck and welcome.

[Cruisingdad]

Hmmm....

My round trip, up until recently, was 5 hours.

I also have a Bulldog (English). I thought for sure the wave motion would make her sleepy... not really. She sleeps no matter what, boat or not. I will say that her typical sleeping position is quite unlady like (on her back, all 4 legs sprawled out to the side). It is not her sleeping that bothers me... it is all the snoring keeping me from concentrating on Bob Marley.

HAHA!

Welcome aboard.

- CD

[Sapperwhite]

Originally Posted by AlpineSailor

....antisocial......

I got my boat to get away from people, welcome to the club.....wait we don't have a club because we don't like being around each other...

[teshannon]

CD,
Mine is English also and ditto to everything you just said.
Tom

[Cruisingdad]

Originally Posted by teshannon

CD,
Mine is English also and ditto to everything you just said.
Tom

Worthless dogs!! (But I love them). I honestly do not think she will go cruising with us though. SHe does not do real well with heat. But I will say that she swims like a lab and loves the water. Does your dog swim like that and love the water?? I did not know if it was an ENglish Bulldog thing or not.

BTW, BE VERY careful with you bull. Very high theft item. She has had three of her litter mates stolen. One, the lady ran into the store for a moment and came back out to see her glass busted and her bully gone. The second they took from a backyard in Plano. The third they broke into a house in Plano and stole him. BROKE INTO THE HOUSE TO STEAL THE DOG!

No kidding. Hi theft.

- CD