1st Sailing Season coming to an end

MtHopeBay · #1 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009

We're getting ready to take our first sailboat home for the winter signaling the end of our first ever season of sailing. What a season, what a year it has been. We took sailing lessons a year ago just to see if we could do it. We/I've always wanted a cruising boat and until last year never thought about sailing. It was always going to be a motor cruiser.

We/I was hooked and had to have my own boat to see if we could really do it. It's just a 24 footer for now but everything we needed to get started on day-sailing and over-nighting.

What a blast it's been. It's the most fun I've had since I discovered busty women. And that was a long time ago. It's just a faint memory. But sailing is the best. It's been frustrating at times trying to learn the hard way. It's been exhilerating. I've gotten my heart pumping and my mind wheeling, sore shoulders and hands from hauling lines and struggling with the tiller.

I think I know how to do it now. I've had some very experienced sailors out with me to affirm that I can do it. I estimate that I've logged 150 hours on the water this season. I'd have gone more but the boat has been 90 minutes away. I went one evening during the week and every weekend for at least one day from May through September.

Now I have a few months to think about where I want to go with this new-found love. So far my wife isn't jealous. The sails that came with the boat are shot so I need to invest money there. I need new halyards and some other running rigging. I need to rebed stanchions and other misc stuff that I've been writing down in my log throught the season. It will be fun to work on now that I know what all these lines and fittings do.

Thanks to Sailneters for the help and advice over the past year.

Mike

rikhall · #2 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009

Well done - sounds like you are off to a very good start.

Ours comes out tomorrow

Season is too short.

Cheers

Rik

Pamlicotraveler · #3 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009

Congratulations. Now you know what the fuss is all about.

j34035 · #4 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009

You are looking at this all wrong! What I mean is, your first boat improvement period is just beginning!! Now you have some time to worry over all those items on the boat that sailing got in the way of. You can work on gelcoat, bilge pumps, sails, halyards, oh the list goes on and on and on!! Before you know it, you will have to quit all this fun improvement and spend several months sailing the boat for on the water analysis so you are ready for next years boat improvement period!!

Have a good offseason!!!
DD

wind_magic · #5 (**permalink**) 10-09-2009

Congratulations! Now you get to suffer through the winter with every other sailor, looking at catalogs, working on small projects, reading books, studying charts, and all the rest.

--
The next best thing
To playing and winning,
or playing and losing,
is watching while drinking a cold beverage.

nereussailor · #6 (**permalink**) 10-10-2009

Glad to hear that you had a great season. One thing that I like about living in Florida is that the sailing season starts January 1st and ends December 31st.
I used to live in the frozen regions of the Great Lakes, and dreaded the time when I couldn't sail. You get used to doing boat repairs, and going to boat shows, but it is only a band aid to the problem. Move south, and sail year round.

Dave

MtHopeBay · #7 (**permalink**) 10-11-2009

you're all correct. I get to, need to, work on the boat, save up some money so I can fund the ugrades and repairs, read the books, go to boat shows and move south so I can sail year round.
Mike

rdstanley · #8 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009

congrats, sounds like you had an awesome 1st sailing season. You've hit it on the head about moving south. In Eastern NC we sail year round. Come on down, there's plenty of room on the water.

MtHopeBay · #9 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009

We (Yaquina Bay Yacht Club) just hosted the 2009 edition of the Columbus Day Regatta this past weekend. For mid October the weather was beautiful: sunny, cool and windy. Eastwind was committee boat and we were starting and finishing races both days. Great experience to finish off my first season. Now I know how races are started, finished and scored. I'll be ready for next year.
Mike

SoftJazz · #10 (**permalink**) 10-12-2009

Congrats, MtHope! Glad you're enjoying your new hobby!

I'm on the eastern end of Lake Erie. The Big Boats are pretty much being put away (between massive storms), but we're still doing the Frostbiters until the third week in December. They may only be tech dinghies, but they're boats & they're in the water. So I put on my foulies & get in.