OK, Small Snag on the New Boat . . .

[boatman61]

So basically your suffering from 'Couch Potatoitis'....
Well the good news is if things go as they should.... in 6mths you'll not believe what your achieving on your boat... swimming and sailing will get you fit... walk to the shops... don't drive.. unless its miles away.
One thing I noticed over there (US)... the car seems indispensible for anything more than a walk in in the yard...
I'd walk the 1/2 mile or so from Sailcraft to the store for groceries and the amount of folks who'd offer a lift for just 500yds was amazing...
Or... you could just install Sat TV and carry on where you left of in your last location...
On a boat I'm 62 and move like 45...
2-3 months on land I'm 62 and moving like 62... any longer and the joints start stiffening through lack of use...

[snort]

Originally Posted by Bergovoy

maybe the best way to describe my 'limitations' / disability is that I am 52, but feel and move like i am 66

I have back issues, and walk slow, get up slow, move slow, and basically do most everything slow/deliberately.. I think I am weaker then I should be because i dont do much, and believe if ic an do stuff, I would and I would be stronger...

moving around on a small boat and pulling on lines seems to be something i can do... replacing the motor, ... not so much...

sanding the hull, and scraping the hull, and swimming, definately yes, but not for long periods...weighing anchor, maybe slowly, maybe ith a break or two depending on how much rode is out... ...

one think I am kinda interested in is hwo quickly things happen... i am guessng not very quickly, 'cept when mooring/docking but after that, not so much...

things would be different if i had a partner, but that isnt for me... and as far as ic an tell not necessary for living aboard and occasional sailing...

hope that helps...

I think you should get a few rides on different boats to have an understanding about boat motion. If I were you, I'd also try out a catamaran to see if you might adapt better to level sailing, given your physical limitations. I just don't know how well you'd like sailing on an angle.

[Bergovoy]

Originally Posted by tallyhorob

watch for bulkhead "walls" that can not be moved. you would be surprised at how much can not be moved due to the fact they use it to support hull, deck, and mast if deck stepped.

Right off the bat you need to find someone to sail with, IMHO if you have this many questions about sails, winches, single handing should be down your list a bit. Learn the boat and make adjustments as needed to single hand it later.

yea, that is the plan... i doubt i will be taking her out on my own for quite a while... not until someone tells me to... and or I ask and get some nod of approval... I would love it if someone would follow me for a bit too, but by then, who knows what i will want or need...

the seller of the boat said she will take me out and get me going and not leave me stranded or sink or swim kinda thing... I am sure she will be thorough...

and yea... I a know nothing... I feel like i am immersed in a foreign language...so, I am sorry if i am post whoring right now... I just want to keep it resh and often... as I know I will lose it if i dont use it...

[zeehag]

i am 62 and ride a bike and kayak for the exercise ineed for sailing. i have strength and such of a 40 yr old because of this and despite breaking my sacroiliac/pelvis in 2008 february.
i think you will find you are more easily able to move after exercising-- you will need to be in shape to single hand. my former sail partner is just that because of back injuries and failure to exercise-- skinny man was and is a potato.
goood luck and smoooth sailing.

[Bergovoy]

i am sure i cant afford a big enough cat to liveaboard.. so, that is out of the question.. I wont have a big issue, or at least dont think i will have an issue with living on an angle while cruising... my guess, is that going places is kinda 'boring' in that not much is going on.. just long distances and lots of time... so, the angle wont be changing back and forth and all that...

now, if i was on an upward tack, then I will be busy controlling, and dont think it will be a problem...

I love turbulance on planes, and been on motor boats, and was an avid water athlete, and lots of snorkling and scuba stuff... and was a great swimmer and was able to hold my breath much longer then my buddies, (but they all smoked)...heheehe

I am optimistic about this where as i am usually pessimistic about things... This is a release/relief to me... I am not a 'people' person... I have a pessimistic view about US society and government... I think the worst is yet to come, unless the US wins some type of LOTTERY, or gets relief from it's debts...

I think people in our society are all way too full of themselves in believng that it is all about getting away with whatever they can, but then hold everyone else to a different standard...

anyways, enough about me and bad attitude... I just wanna get away, and be off grid as much as i can, but yet, be close enough to the necessities ... and keep my contact to the minimum... and polite...

I can be polite, I hope I am polite here and not offensive or arrogant or rude or anything... I think highly of all of you guys... even though some have made jabs or minor attacks, I believe I understand where and why they do so, and I dont think it to be truly about me personally, so it is all good...


anyways... hope to be able to payback the help i get now to others in the future to whatever amount i can...

[zeehag]

you will do fine--just remember to exercise for flexibility and you will do well. practice practice practice. smooooth sailing!

[boatman61]

Ditto likewise.... Its all in the mind..
If you don't mind... it don't matter....

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Sluce

Give these a try...
Winchers Self Tailers

I found the Winchers Self Tailers to be virtually useless.

[Bergovoy]

Originally Posted by boatman61

So basically your suffering from 'Couch Potatoitis'....

Unfortunately yes... and it's actually La-Z-Boy itis

some of it is all me... some is my lack of desire to go out and explore this area and or meet people here in SMELL A...

some of it is from not being able to do the things i would lkke to do, or not being able to do them for as long as feasible, (not going to drive for hours each way to do something for one hour)

Some of it is due to my lack of ability to drive well.. i do get more honks and fingers then the average, as I tend to not look over teh shoulder, (neck fusion)

and some other 'excuses'.. none of which are great...and none of which will not really apply to being onboard...

I will probably have some form of TV, but it will be on my laptop... as it draws less power then a tv does.. and I wont be watching much if at all... the plan is to hang out on deck with a fishing pole in one hand, and a powerade in the other... (not the biggest drinker here, sorry)

oh, for info, I lived on Hawaii for almost 15 years when i was a young adult... and i lived in the 'country', not Honolulu/waky waky...

[zeta]

Not sure how close a Cal 2-29 is to the Cal 2-30, but "Good Old Boat" has a good article on Cal 2-30 in their Nov/Dec 2010 issue.

[Bergovoy]

Originally Posted by GordMay

I found the Winchers Self Tailers to be virtually useless.

I still dont know how winches work not to mention the 'self tailing' function...

do you put both lines onto the winch?


kinda like someone already mentioned, it would be good idea, probably great, if i spent some time onboard for a bit, (trust me, I will)

[hellosailor]

Bergovoy, he who plunges in gets wet feet. Often, soaked.

By all means plunge in and enjoy but I'd suggest that anyone who plunges into sailing and asks these kind of questions is going to buy the wrong boat. That's probably unavoidable and it isn't a problem, if you remember that once you gain experience you'll have a better idea of what you want and at that point you sell this boat and buy the one you want.

"one of the other things on my 'list', is to 'remodel'/redo the interior... " Don't gut a thing for at least six months. Remember, you may very well want to sell this boat and your custom work will almost certainly ruin the market value if you do unconventional things.

As to reefing the main...the saying is that if you have to think about whether to reef, you've already waited too long. If you reef BEFORE you need to, the sail is much easier to handle and the worst thing that will happen is that you will change your mind and unreef. If you wait too long, it may be quite difficult or dangerous to reef at all.

If you haven't had any sailing or boating experience, you might want to take a US Power Squadrons boating safety course. They're free. Also ask the USCG Auxiliary to do a free vessel safety inspetion on your boat. If you pass you get a decal that says so, if you fail there's no penalty, just a sheet of paper that says what you need to correct to meet safety standards. Free is good, right?

[Bergovoy]

Originally Posted by zeta

Not sure how close a Cal 2-29 is to the Cal 2-30, but "Good Old Boat" has a good article on Cal 2-30 in their Nov/Dec 2010 issue.

hard copy only? sniff

[Connemara]

Glad somebody mentioned Winchers. I have them on Connemara and they work just fine.

But there's a trick -- you have to put three wraps under the blue plastic ring. Then the pressure of the line coming in keeps everything from slipping and sheds the line out the back.

They're also not expensive. West Marine has them for about $50 but I can't tell if that's for a pair or one. I just replaced mine last year so you'd think I could remember, but .... anno domini, again.

Connemara

Four days to the boat show, yay! And 15 weeks until launch, boo!

[boatman61]

LOL... funny how well things work.... once you KNOW how to use them....