Loved it!

[MikeAR]

We took lessons through a local club over the weekend. It was fun, educational and sobering. By that, I mean it drove home the differences between "book learning" and "hands-on learning." We had good instructors, very experienced, capable people.
My desire to sail has grown. My wife, who wasn't sure how things would be for her, loved it and wants to sail, too.
All that said, we know we are very much still beginners and have much to learn. We can't wait!
Though we were on J/24s and a J/80, we see ourselves on cruiser, perhaps something like a Catalina 25, when circumstances allow. Here in Arkansas, there's a myriad of lakes we can choose. If we go smaller we could, perhaps, tow. Twenty-five feet or larger, we go to the boat.

Thanks for listening! You can now return to your regularly scheduled reading.

Mike

[stephenbarns]

Glad that you guys had fun , wish that I would have signed up in time. Are you guys leaning towards joining gmsc and doing the racing thing?

[MikeAR]

Originally Posted by stephenbarns

Glad that you guys had fun , wish that I would have signed up in time. Are you guys leaning towards joining gmsc and doing the racing thing?

Hi Stephen!
We probably won't be racing. Those boats - the J/24s and especially the J/80 - were great but not us. I especially did a double blink when I was told how much the J/80 was worth. One of the instructors had sold it to the owner and since then it's nearly tripled in value!
BTW, we wanted to take it last year but we were out of town for a wedding.
Maumelle is a wonderful place to sail. It is a lake that while allows fishing (there was a women's bass tournament the same time we sailed). It doesn't allow swimming (it's Little Rock's water supply), so it is mostly a sailing lake. GMSC has been there 50 years.
It's close to home but we also have connections to Greers Ferry, where the eastern half is well-suited to sailing, and you know how close Ouachita is, too. There's time to make that decision.

Mike

[stephenbarns]

They call Lake Maumelle "The dead sea" as far as fishing goes. I recently read an article that local sportsmen have been at odds with the water people over putting in some artificial cover. PM me sometime if you and the Mrs. want to get together on my boat with me and you guys can teach me what I missed in the class.

Steve

[Shadrak]

Welcome to sailing, Mike! I'd say welcome to SN, but I see you joined a while ago.

I'm pretty much at the same stage: excited to go out there and start practicing what I've been reading about, and looking for an opportunity to get as many hours on the water as possible (not a boat owner yet)

[CoastTrash]

ha I am with both of yall mike and shad. I took lessons years ago but never had the money to even save up. I went out fishing with a friend and the local yacht club it doing there summer sailing lessons. Then the bug came back and bit me. So I plan on saving up and buying a fixer upper flying scott or the likes to get lots of hours in.

[MikeAR]

It's going to be awhile before I can get a boat. It's not on the immediate horizon.
My wife and I loved the classes. We were on different J/24s and a J/80. Separating the couples forced each of us to not depend on the other spouse I think ... a good thing!

[imagine2frolic]

Exciting stuff isn't it. Take what rides you can, rent, or what ever it takes to sail. It's addicting, and the kind of habit that will ease your tensions legally.

Liquor, and sailing are a bad mix in my view. I love a bit of drink at home, at the dock, and anchor down. While the boat moves sobriety is best.

Lessons are good for a couple of reasons, but the most important to me is. You will most likely start out without bad habits. BEST WISHES in honing your skills, and surviving huge smiles......i2f