Back in the cockpit

jb1528 · #1 (**permalink**) 11-10-2010

Hello Sailnet Community,

My name is Jim and I've had sailboats since college. Small ones though. I started with a Newport 16 fixed keel which I kept on a bouy during the summer off the north end of Camano Island WA in the late 70s. I believe it was the first. Since then, a homebuilt wooden daysailor built from Popular Mechanics plans by a freind of a friend on Lake Stevens Wa, then a Hobie 16, then a big jump to a Yankee 28. A great boat at the wrong time and had to sell her. All that over a span of twenty years. Now a new spouse and with her blessing a new boat. A 1976 Catalina 27.

The wife is new to boating and thus the entry level veteran boat. Good news, she likes it. If I keep the jaragon to a dull roar, it goes pretty well. To my delight, she is the one asking of we are going out on the weekend. Is this heaven?

Anyway, after one full season under the keel, we may be changing boats already. No southseas plans, but rather we would just like to tweek the accomodations some and stay in the 28' slip if we can. You never know though.

I'm always online looking at boats and I hope this forum will help with that and other topics.

I look forward to the insight of others and thanks for the great site.

Jim Baumgartner
Catalina 27 Blackfish

jrd22 · #2 (**permalink**) 11-10-2010

Hi Jim, always nice to have another PNW sailor here.

bljones · #3 (**permalink**) 11-10-2010

Welcome jb.
It's funny how second wives have an influence on returning to sailing.

jb1528 · #4 (**permalink**) 11-10-2010

Geez, if I'd known that, I would have... naw maybe not.

Here's the funny part about the new wife. Her dad had a really rough looking outboard boat that he kept on a bouy at Oak Harbour on Whidby Island when she was a girl. One day he came home and announced that the boat was missing. Said he'd look for it in the morning as it was dark. In the morning it was back. Hmmm. That evening on the way home, it was gone again.

Turns out the boat had developed a bid leak and it was only visible at, you guessed it, low tide.

That is the extent of her boating experience. I truely count my blessings.

Jim