Sailnet people were right, once again...

merttan · #1 (**permalink**) 06-05-2008

As I started to learn sailing, I was on a big boat (72ft), I was part of the interchanging crew rather than owner of the boat...

Then I bought this tiny, sailboat (22ft), to remember and learn further about sailing... Though I was more like a cat in the water with my little one, I was sailed with a friend's bigger and heavier boat (Pearson 38)... In a weather that I'd be rather sit docked... Yet, as many told me previously, my problem was the size and the displacement of the boat rather than the heeling...
Going over 35-40 degrees at times, sailing smoothly on 22+ knot winds and 2-3ft seas are really the big difference between comfort and tension!

As I started on my check list for the season (the first issue is getting the outboard fixed or replaced), I began to wonder that if I should try to get used to the rather uncomfortable, unbalanced feeling of the smaller sailboat or should I continue to learn the weather and the seas around LIS which ultimately would pay off once I move to bigger boat...

Once again, I'd highly recommend new members and new sailors like me to ask and read around the sailnet. The experience and knowledge on this site still amazes me and reminds me that I have a lot to learn...

I just wanted to thank to all for helping us newbies...

nolatom · #2 (**permalink**) 06-05-2008

I don't know if I qualify to say it, but in that unlikely event, the you're welcome.

The best sailors come out of small boats. Small-boat experience isn't that hard to convert into big boats, you just have to slow the intertial forces down, which our brains can do pretty well.

But the opposite isn't generally true. A good big-boat sailor is harder to convert to a good small-boat sailor. Everything speeds up, and you have to adapt, physically and mentally.

teshannon · #3 (**permalink**) 06-05-2008

Yeah but you're going to have a lot of fun in the meantime!

captainrizzo · #4 (**permalink**) 06-05-2008

I started in a 14' sailing dinghy. Moved up to 21' LOA and 8' beam. Now I am in a 31' LOA with 11' beam. I still like to mix it up and get on bigger boats as well as smaller boats. I race a J/100 and still like getting out on a laser! It's about variety for me.

-Riz

CharlieCobra · #5 (**permalink**) 06-05-2008

Yeah, I went from 21' swing keel sloop to a full keel 38' yawl. The transition was fairly easy.