First Solo Trip!!!!!

NewportNewbie · #1 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

The wife and I had our niece and nephew out to the boat today. Great day in Newport Harbor, not too hot and a nice breeze. I did some work on the mooring lines and when I was done they all said lets cruise the harbor...so for the first time without the previous owners around and helping the wife and I untied the mooring lines and took it out! We were only on motor but it was nice to put put about the harbor on our own. On the way back we saw a 6-8 foot sailboat that looked odd...as we got closer it looked like 2 12 year old girls were piloting it, but one of them was in the water...the sail was luffing and they were not moving at all...I asked if they needed help as they were in the busiest part of the channel and they said yes...they managed to get VERY far from where they started from and the sail was coming off the mast and the foot of the sail was not on the mast at all...I spun around they threw me a line and I towed them back to the dock. Then pulled back into the mooring, the wife grabbed the hook pulled the line in and we were moored in seconds! Great day! Now if I can just get into an open sailing class I'll get my sails open!!!

SHNOOL · #2 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

Great rescue! Open them sails, if it is a mild day you'll learn quicker on your own than you will in a class. If its a wild day you'll learn more than any class. Sounds like you are well on your way to being quality, safety conscious boaters... we need more of those.

Keep the stories coming. 6-8 footer? optimist pram maybe?

NewportNewbie · #3 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

Yeah they were in a TINY boat...and in a busy part of the channel with fast power boats, a few car ferrys, and even GIANT party ships coming and going. Why anyone would be out there in such a small boat is amazing to me...but the funny part is that there were even people on stand up paddle boards in the middle of all that! They were clearly beginners and very shaky on the paddle boards and looked like they were going to take a swim any second, yet were doing so in the busiest part of the harbor...odd.

MobiusALilBitTwisted · #4 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

glad you went w/o the PO, now as stated above, host the sails, the PO has taken you out, you know you read how to sail, now GO sail, make mistakes and learn from them. Go slow go Often and then Go some more.

I look at sailing the same way i look at Truck Driving, i have been one for 25 years and always learn more, now i will do this on the water. going slow going often and going even more.

NewportNewbie · #5 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by MobiusALilBitTwisted

glad you went w/o the PO, now as stated above, host the sails, the PO has taken you out, you know you read how to sail, now GO sail, make mistakes and learn from them. Go slow go Often and then Go some more.

I look at sailing the same way i look at Truck Driving, i have been one for 25 years and always learn more, now i will do this on the water. going slow going often and going even more.

The PO is out of town on vacation so it was either sit in the mooring or go out! lol...It was great. I think I will take it slow, I have a private sailing lesson scheduled for wednesday on a lido 14, I work until then, so I won't have a chance to go out, but after that then I will go...I have a private on my boat scheduled as well for next sunday...between those two I think I will have the nerve to hoist the sails and get into a it of offshore cruising. Confidence has gone way up just being able to motor about and control the boat...I have to say the Santana 30 turns on a dime! Very agile for its size.

JoeDiver · #6 (**permalink**) 08-14-2011

Way to go! Helping someone out is just the way it's done; we have to be there for each other. Ya did a good thing.

Now get those sails up!

jppp · #7 (**permalink**) 08-15-2011

Kindalike when your flight instructor tells you to stop the plane instead of a touch-n-go. He then gets out and says, "give me 2 t-n-g's and 1 full stop". For 1 minute you think you forgot everything but some how it all comes back.
If you go out on a nice day with manageable winds your confidence level will rise monumentally if you raise the sails, shut off the engine and sail. Heck, you know how to motor and pick up the hook so how much trouble can you get into?

Sublime · #8 (**permalink**) 08-15-2011

Nice!

My confidence builds so much faster when I don't have someone else to depend on. Of course, on a bad day my confidence can be destroyed that quickly too.

Bene505 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-15-2011

Congratulations!!

Keep the stories coming.

Regards,
Brad