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"Sure I'll walk the dog, honey!"

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4K views 34 replies 15 participants last post by  chucklesR 
#1 · (Edited)
Since I haven't started sailing yet here in Frozen Rochester, NY, below is what I do since I have caught the sailing bug. I’m either crazy or am I already hooked (before I've even been on a sailboat)!

1) while walking the dog, or any activity outside for that matter, I'm taking notice of the wind, trying to see where its coming from, where its hitting my face, what the clouds are doing, what flags or smoke/steam from far off are doing, etc. This has added a whole new dimension to walking my dog versus just the pooper scooper. In fact, since my dog doesn't need a leash, I find that I have to remember to look down to make sure he's still at my side and hasn't wandered off or that I don’t walk into a light post! When I get home I review the weather on my phone to see how accurate I was about wind direction, speed, gusts, etc. So now, when I come home from work, and I find the kids haven't yet done the dog walking chore, no longer do I get upset. I just grab our little Shih-Tzu, Mr. Ollie Sebastion, and scurry out the door so I can once again put my wind and weather observation skills to the test. I know my kids are very confused now.

2) before driving I check wind direction, then as I drive I call out what I/we would be doing on a sailboat, what tack I’m on, etc. So if I’m cruising down the road and the wind is coming at me from the right side, I call out beam reach, starboard tack and my heading. I also take note if I'm upwind or down wind from other vehicles, etc. Then, as I make a right turn into the wind, I do the “prepare to come about, ready, hard a lee” etc. If I end up in irons, I note that too until the road or another turn puts me on another tack or gybe.

My family is ready to commit me but I’m just a wanna be sailor and can’t wait to get started in April. Hopefully these daily exercises will help my mind get used to the “processing” that has to take place quickly while in the boat so that I can focus on the other “live” scenarios happening once I’m under way with my mentor and crew.

GS
 
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#2 ·
Wow. You have it bad. It took me a year after I bought my first boat to get to this point. My condolences to your family but YAY! to you.

Don't get into an accident, though. When the police come and you shout "PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!" they may take you away.
 
#5 ·
Seriously. What you're doing is fantastic. It's roughly what I tell my boating safety students to start doing as soon as they step out of that class. My personal goal is to get to the point that "reading" the weather becomes intuitive and I use all sources available to me to make an informed decision on my own.

But thinking in terms of port and starboard when I'm driving my car is a bit out of the ordinary. We have a 2-hour drive home from our boat so by the time I get home I've usually stopped doing it.
 
#7 ·
Thanks Donna for the feeback. I'm so ready to get started but unfortunately have to wait till the boats get back in the water up here at 43 N 77 W (hope I wrote that correctly). I plan on takling a boating saftey course this year as well. I'm also doing this crazy stuff to see which one of my 5 teens shows an interest. Right now its just my niece who is asking questions. My kids politely place t6heir headphones in their ears and listen to their IPODS as I sail down the highway yelling "Jib Ho" and "its too windy, reef the main!"
 
#8 ·
LOL - good one! My wife is being very tolerant of my skipperish behavior so far. She doesn't know how much I tone it down around the house so I don't go overboard (no pun intended). Thank God there is SailNet where I can read and interact till my heart is content and get through these Winter months.
 
#11 ·
YOU'RE NOT NUTS!
Its just wild anticipation. When I was looking to buy a new truck, I noticed every truck on the highway. If I wanted a dodge ram, then I noticed every ram truck that went by. If you need a new entertainment center for the big screen TV, then the newspaper ads from the furniture stores catch your eye. Sailing is in the forefront of your mind, hence the preoccupation with the wind strength and direction.
( Now take 2 Heineken by mouth and send me a check for $50 in the morning.)
 
#12 ·
YOU'RE NOT NUTS!
Its just wild anticipation. When I was looking to buy a new truck, I noticed every truck on the highway. If I wanted a dodge ram, then I noticed every ram truck that went by. If you need a new entertainment center for the big screen TV, then the newspaper ads from the furniture stores catch your eye. )
I tried that explanation to my first wife when I saw a great pair walk by.

It worked.

I am now on my second wife.
 
#14 ·
You are all right! No reason to see the doctor.

my phases are a little more severe

Dog walking lead me to a love of HiCRI flashlights. Nice color rendering of brown
Flying planes lead me to doing a pre-check of my car...nails in tires...etc
sail boats...grew up on a livery....sailed EVERY day growing up....rent...charter...boat club...and then...check out the picture...bought.

You might as well going out to buy your inflatable lifejacket, sailing gloves and Maui Jims,

you are "caught between phillips and straight"
 
#21 ·
Thanks Jim, you live quite the life. I actually looked at getting my Private Cert. for flying as well, but it was too much time and $ for my lifestyle, I did get my son going though, he's 17 and has 10 hours under his belt, I told him to do it before life gets in the way. Sailing, for me, is doable! So I'm gonna do it, I'll find a way. It helps I can bike ride to the Port of Rochester, and I want to take advantage of all that Lake Ontario, the Great Lakes have to offer. Going a little stri crazy now, I used to ski but not any longer, so now I'm doing everything I can to prepare for April launch. Haven't bought the life jackets yet, but I di buy some charts last night and fingerless sailing gloves will be next.
 
#24 ·
I love my 260, she's a Winnebago with wings! I spent a month on Lake Ontario with her and also a month on Lake Michigan with her as well. I think if I were to attempt a trip to the islands I would opt for a larger boat! LOL

You should head on down to the local Yacht Clubs with same offer (helping with maintenance in return for a ride and knowledge) I bet you will be pleasantly surprised by the response you get. Not that I wouldn't mind taking you out but simple logistics would suggest local resources are the better option. The CNY Boat show is beginning today in Syracuse. I'm going to try and go tonight, I'll keep an eye out for Rochester area sailing associations and report back.

Brad

oops, just saw that you have the S/V in your sig LOL. I'm learning! I like the Hunters. I read a blog last year about a young man from Toronto that took a Hunter 26 from Toronto to the Bahamas and back.

Sailing Blog - AfterBlue Sailaway
 
#26 ·
I used to get pissed off at all the idiots that go down the road weaving from lane to lane cutting other drivers off, now I realize they are in sail boat land and are just tacking. A word of warning though....don't hit the auto pilot so you can pee out the window.
 
#29 ·
O how I miss Rochester. Went to RIT and lived in Henrietta for a few years. Don't miss the long winters but its nice to be so close to the thousand islands and the lake.

I constantly constantly constantly pay attention to wind and weather...thats good practice whether boating or not.

Tacking the car...different strokes for different folks I guess. ;)

We all get it differently. Wait till you get a boat. It's all over then. Total loss of sanity.
 
#31 ·
G20

Hello from Rochester, my stepson is awaiting an acceptance letter from RIT, we're keeping our fingers crossed! I can't imagine how bad I'll be once I have a s/v. I know it will have to be at least a 24' or more with galley, head and a berth because I'll probably be banned from the house due to incessant sailing talk.
 
#34 ·
Ha! I thought I was the only one that had that problem while driving. I remember last May when I took my sailing classes, after being on the water for about eight hours, I was driving home on the mass pike. As I would change lanes I kept waiting for the boom to set on the other side of the boat. It never did :(
 
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