I want to thank all the people here who helped this dream come true. I cant tell all of you how many people tried to talk me out of buying building my boat. " Your an idiot, your just going to die out there". I heard that lots..
And the ever popular " you don't have a clue!" i heard that lots too.
But here i found lots of people who gave me good advice and even made a few friends along the way. " one, i hang out with damn near every weekend".
Thank you all.....
Here is the story.
I am one of those people who bought a boat " 1970 Cal 29" last October and spent the last year rebuilding it. I DID NOT HAVE A CLUE how to sail a boat much less this monster. Just that i want to learn and this boat needed a home and love. I just took her out for the first time this weekend and other than a few knots not tied right things went well. And when my fuel filter clogged on the way back to the dock " being a Diesel mech i anticipated this" was going to happen and installed a second fuel filter " housing filter and all" . So two turns on two valves and i was under power again. Just like the big boats.
Now, i have sailed with a buddy that i met on here and i was a sponge in a bucket of water but i have to say... The sheer terror and responsibility of taking my boat out on my own Saturday kept up up all Friday night and i was a train wreck all day Saturday. This was not helped by my buddy refusing to go out sailing with me because he was to hung over....
I felt like i had not learned a thing in the last year.. When i took her out Sunday i was much more relaxed and actually enjoyed my self.
No matter how many times you sail on someone Else's boat boat. its not the same. I can only compare it to rock climbing.. You may follow for a life time but when you lead the climb you are out on the sharp end of the rope the world is a totally different place smell's are stronger, sounds are louder, you see everything, every little bump is felt as though you just hit a moose in a smart car..... Its a different world...
Some of you were blessed living close to the water and learning on small boats and graduating up until you hit the big boys..
Some of us just dive on in to the fryer.
I grew up land locked and the largest boat i ever piloted was a 16' ski boat on a lake 12 years ago. I bought lots of books at half price books read lots and tried to learn every system on my boat so i would know what to do when or if ........... A sailboat is a very complicated piece of machinery and art all in one. There are still things on my boat i have no clue that they do or when to use them.. Part of the problem is my boat was a race/ cruiser and i think the previous owner raced the boat because every one that walks by asked why a 29' sloop needs 7 winches? lol
And i think he did it solo....
Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks.
And to all and for those thinking,hoping, or wishing for a boat.... Go for it, it feels good to flip them off at the dock as you sail away in that boat.
And by the way... my docking is perfect no bumps and no crashes even though i had terrible condition's at the dock when i came in, lots of wind and the first night on a moonless night with piss poor light.
I even learned to use the prop rotation to slide the rear to the right.
I learned how here!!!!
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