Your first time?

lahso · #1 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

What was your first time like?

A few months ago, I somewhat abruptly introduced myself to this forum. Since I couldn't call myself a real sailor yet, I refrained from posting and only stalked here for a while. Yesterday, I passed my ASA101 - w/ a 100% of the questions right (I lost one point for taking the test wrong... filled in the wrong darn circle so it was technically a 99%, but whatever)

Anyway... I chartered my first boat today. A decent little Hunter 290 'Small Wonder' and headed out of Redondo Beach harbor for my first day in a boat as el capitan. I was honestly a bit nervous, the classes had been a whirlwind up to this point... points of sail, man overboard, anchoring, but never any real 'sailing'.

All of the sudden, it was just me, my friend who'd never sailed before, and a boat. A boat that was just ready to be taken to sea, and us... staring at it thinking "we gotta make this work." We did. We prepped the boat, we removed the covers, we cranked the diesel... And as we did this, the boat came alive, 'it' became a 'she'. She would be taking us to sea.

I backed out of the slip with calm and precision. We motored to just outside the breakwall and hoisted the mainsail. I know we all love that moment when we can kill the engine and the sail fills with wind, but today it was special. It was my day. It was my boat. It was my sea and my wind. I was proud.

We tacked around the Palos Verdes peninsula. Catalina was in full view, a nice clear day. Somewhat rare for southern California. The breeze picked up around 2 pm and we were able to get her heeled over and really get the speed up. I played with sail trim, worked on holding a course, and we did our best to make each tack or jibe cleaner and smoother than the one before. Then we did something I hadn't done before. We just sailed.

It was simply amazing.

So, yea... there were a couple of wtf moments, like when I 'nearly' released the jib halyard (furling) or when I got in the irons while messing around. No problem though, you correct it, you learn from it, and you move on.

The day ended with a great sunset (I'll post a pic later) and a perfect 10 docking... a perfect end to my maiden voyage. We cleaned her up and put her to bed, and I walked away... I walked away as a sailor, a student of the sea.

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but what was your first time like?

~mt

WanderingStar · #2 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Happy for you. May you never lose the thrill.
As a child I sailed with my dad, canoed with my brothers. As a young man I went to sea in steel ships for Uncle Sam. Later I built an 11' saling dinghy. i fniished her in fall and launched on a blustery day. Pushed off the dock, sheeted in-whoosh, I was sailing. The magic of that little sail across the basin and back makes me smile still.

turban10 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Congrats!
I am also a new saillor. There is something truly wonderful about the sound of the sails and the water rushing by the hull. I took lessons on a J22 in May of last year and i was hooked. Ever since then, i have been trying to get as many people to come sailing with me as possible. I guess I am trying to get them as addicted as I am.
Sadly I live in Chicago, and right now all i can do is read the sailnet forums to live vicariously through others who live in warmer climates.

sharps4590 · #4 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

My first time was certainly nothing like that!!!!! 25 or so years ago our neighbor had a 10 or 12 foot boat with main and jib. The little lake we lived on was only 43 acres so you weren't going far. Rich took me out, showed me how to make the thing go, tack, sail with the wind then said, "any time you want to use it it's beached in the back yard, help yourself". I did that summer and while I never got very good I sure had a lot of fun and never forgot it.

Sailing works in with most other things I like to do. Doing things "the old way". I'll never forget how wonderfully quiet it was just slipping along at what was a fair rate for that little boat. Just the wind, the water slapping the hull and whatever song I wanted to sing. No screaming V-8 motors for certain.

I revel in canoes, kayaks and hopefully soon a little sail boat.

Vic

kaluvic · #5 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Congratulations, it sounds like a wonderful first time...my first time I spent the first three days hurling over the side and wishing I would die.

But, on a completely unrelated note...Friday was my first boat show and it was the best I'd ever been to!
Also went again today just to be sure.....yep....it was the best.

Faster · #6 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

lahso

Sounds like a great day! Congrats

Now you need to buy a boat so you get the full experience!

lahso · #7 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Great stories, everyone... thanks for sharing. It was a great day indeed. I've been fortunate to have a lot of cool life experiences... this will go in the books as one of the top.

Tuban10 - I hear ya on trying to get friends addicted. Unfortunately most of my friends think (know) I'm crazy and can't imagine why I would want to sail. Oh, Los Angeles...

Kaluvic - I'm looking forward to some boat shows myself. My Dad owns a few bait and tackle shops on Lake Texoma and I figure I should go do some 'research' for him!

Faster - Maybe one day I'll buy a boat again... I owned little ski boats most of my life. I'm pretty sure the chartering route works for now. A little less headache, and probably a little cheaper. My instructor always went on about the 3 F's and renting and never owning 'em.

~mt

Faster · #8 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Yeah, it definitely depends on your situation. If 2-3 weeks sailing per year is all you can manage between jobs and other obligations, in the long run chartering makes a lot of sense.

But you do lose the pride of ownership and good maintenance, the spontaneity of deciding at breakfast "hey.. lets go for a quick sail today" when the weather's good, and you're always potentially dealing with somebody else's 'stuff'.. most charter experiences go well but we've seen some go very badly indeed.. (failed windlass w/all chain rode; plugged/split/failed holding tank - major YUK!- etc.)

For us, averaging 70-80 days per year with summer stretches of 6-8 weeks, owning is the way to go.

mgmhead · #9 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

Dude, congratulations on a wonderful maiden voyage.

My first sail was much like yours I imagine, only done on the Chesapeake. It was a wonderful day. I didn't get the sh*t scared out of me until about my 4th or 5th sail when the wind knocked me about in ways I hadn't experienced and wasn't prepared for...I learned alot about reefing that day.

Enjoy, and don't be a dummy like I was, reef before you leave the dock. That's what I do now.

turban10 · #10 (**permalink**) 01-17-2010

I was thinking about my first time sailing and to be honest, it wasn't great. There was a small craft advisory on the lake, with the winds hitting 20-25knots. The waves were quite choppy and the ride was quite uncomfortable. The boat was healed over and water was (at times) coming over the toe rails. For us sailing "virgins", this was quite a shock and quite honestly, pretty scary. After three hours in the chop, i was exhausted, sea sick, and not sure i wanted to continue the class.
Boy am I glad i did. The next class, the winds were 10 knots, and barely a ripple in the water. I finally understood the draw of sailing and I was hooked. For the rest of the season, i went on club sails, took my family and friends out. The one person i did not take out was my wife. That's becuase she was pregnant.

So the bigger question for me is... how am i going to make her "first time" fun? Afterall, if i want to get a boat, it sure would be easier if the admiral is agreeable to the idea. All i can hope is that her first sail isn't like mine.