new to sailing

[sdrac]

I am new to sailing. I am 62 years old I have never sailed untill this summer. I have a place on a lake in Wisconsin. Because of that a friend gave me a old amf sailfish. The boat is fiberglass and has a mast about 20 feet long. The boat seems to be in great shape.
I bought a book on sailing, read it and off I went. I can now sail around the lake and get back to my dock. I have not been out in strong winds and I have not fliped it yet. If anyone has any avice on sailing I am ready to listen.
Also, if anyone knows anything at all about a amf sailfish I would like to know. I have no history or information about this boat at all. It does seem that I have all of it's parts, it even has a paddle.

[DRFerron]

Welcome to sailing and to SailNet!

If you enjoy sailing on the lake on the Sunfish and you have no intention of moving up to a larger boat, I say just have fun! Buy a few books on how the wind works, learn to read the weather so you don't get caught unaware while you're zipping (because Sunfish do zip if you're doing it correctly) across the lake and have a great time.

If you get to the point where you think you've caught the bug and want to explore more and you happen to see a great looking 16- or 20-foot boat for a good price on your way home from the lake and that little voice tells you to "STOP THE CAR!", then I'd worry about getting more advanced with your learning.

After you tell the little voice to shut up, I'd suggest that you take the American Sailing Association (ASA) 101 (Basic Keel Boat) that will get you on the water instruction with a small keel boat. In addition, I recommend either the USCG Auxiliary or the US Power and Sail Squadron boating safety courses. These courses will go into more details about the rules and regulations of boating, navigation, aids to navigation, weather, radio, engine, etc. In most cases (I know they do where I'm located) at the end of the course you'll have a certificate (license if you will) from your state as well.

I teach the USCG course and I've taken the Power Squadron course and they are both excellent introductions to sailing. I say "introduction" because there is always something more to learn.

Spend some time reading the posts in this forum, even the old, old posts and ask as many questions as you want.

Good luck!