When Your Heart First Opened to Sailing...

[Grasshopper]

The first time I knew sailing was something I must do, I was about 12 years old. We had gone to a family reunion in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming. The Uncles ran an outfitting camp, horses, shooting, survival, everything a boy could want... They had raised the roof the night before no doubt competing for the coveted position of "Most obviously full of sh!%". We're a family of winners. So it was the next morning during our wanderings that we discovered the styrofoam sailboat pulled up on the shore. One of the Uncles sat close by in the shade of a pine, nursing a world class hangover no doubt scripting that evenings attempt at besting his brothers... "Hop in. Wait, put those life jackets on... Now here, push it out past the rocks before you get in... There you go... Now one of you grab the rudder, the other one grab that line... There you go... now turn the rudder, no the other way, pull that line in a bit... See how you can go at an angle to the wind? My brother tired after sometime, but for the next two days, I was only away from that boat long enough to eat and sleep.

[James S]

When I figured out you can float in water...I was hooked.
Its a little like flying...defying gravity and navigating like a bird.

[Ram]

first sailboat was a Prindle 18 it was like a horse, almost alive,loved it- id take it offshore and would somtimes make 50 mile runs in a day off shore - my dog and me! 15-20 knots easy!

[sarafina]

funny... I have been thinking about this and I can't remember a time when there weren't boats... but I think I really fell in love with the feel of sailing in my early 20's sailing solo in a sunfish in Panama bay... just magical, me and my big red dog ; -)

[sweetsailing]

First time I ever set foot on a sailboat was a sunset cruise out of key west, nearly 20 years ago. Small crew with just 4 of us. I spent the entire cruise feeding the fish, if you know what I mean

Next time, I mustered up the courage to try again and took a learn to sail class while Mr took a bareboat charter class. The minute I took the tiller and felt the wind on the sails and the pull of the rudder, I was hooked. After that the exhilaration of sailing has overtaken my propensity for feeding the fish. Mind over matter.

[cdennyb]

My first was a 24' Columbia Challenger out of the King Harbor Yacht Clkub where my boss had their boat. I worked for him at TRW and on Wednesday nites we raced. It was cool as hell but scarey when you don't realize the boat leans a little... and then a LOT when it goes faster. LoL
I was fresh outof high school and didn't know jack about which way to go fastest... but I learned andlater took my sweety over to Catalina for some scuba diving during our long weekend holidays. I don't think I ever forgot how it felt... Wind, sun, the smells of the ocean and that old boat.
Glad I got a bigger one.

[ViribusUnitis]

Strangly enough, Boy Scout Camp.

They had a number of Sun Fish boats, on this little inland lake, ringed by tall pine trees. The lake was really a largish pond. The wind could only blow one direction down the pond as it was really narrow. If the wind came from any other direction, the trees stoped it.

It was two boys per boat. One gets the rudder, one get the sheet. I spent as much of that week as they would let me down there. I had trouble finding someone to share my interst. Fortunatly that went through the whole camp, so while all the canoes and kyacks would be checked out, you could always get a Sunfish.

[Ex-Calif]

Somewhere around this time...

Although we also had a sailboat the pictures of MollyMac have been lost to time.

[barnakiel]

I can't even remember when first. (Any memory issues here?) This is the first bad news. The second bad news is I am getting more and more addicted.

b.

[michaelmrc]

thats a great question. when i first got hooked i was 16 and my girlfriend at the time her parents owned a 36 ft sailboat. she took me out and i knew it was my calling. 30 yrs later i have come back to that calling being captive to the power boating scene for many years ive come home.

[Agility]

When I became captain of my first vessel. Actual, when my Mom who doesn't sail got my Dad's boat in the divorce. 1981

[JackHinks]

In the late 60s, my Dad read a book about sailing, bought an Ensign and took me sailing. And to quote Richard Bode, "That has made all the difference."

[drinky]

Showing my age, it was in the 50s and I got a crew position on a 40 ft yacht racing with the RQYS in Moreton Bay. Great stuff for a 14 year old. Each year there was a special race for the governor of Queensland and this year he was passenger on our boat. Turned the final mark and started for the finish line and the owner said "can you handle this while we go below and have lunch". So there I was, tiller in hand and all by myself charging across moreton bay on a 40 ft yacht kite up and all. Haven't managed to stop since.

[gbendaly]

I was born near the sea and lived in a fishermen town .I always had a boat to go diving fishing or just island hopping, I was introduced to the windsurfing sport in the eighties and discovered the power of the wind on the water.. I won several winsurfing and funboarding competitions but had to let go as I aged.. in 1992 I discovered the magic of cruising while crewing on a friend's boat in Cyprus and was hooked ever since. I have designed , built and sailed 3 wooden sailboats from 14' to 24' , purchased a 33' westerly discus in Oman that I refurbished and re-selled in the UAE I am presently the proud owner of a 27' Aloa that I bought in Marmaris / Turkey and sailed to Lebanon.

[Sue & Mike]

My mum always says, I was sailing before I was born, as she sailed during her pregnancy.

My first boat, was self-built, ok, so (Allan) my cousin helped as he was 5yrs older than me.

She was a traditional wooden sloop, but in disguise as a plywood box 2ft by 2ft with a broom handle. We sailed the open seas, struggled against many hurricans, spent many weeks adrift with out food/water, and fought many fierce battles with angry pirates....

all in my dads fish pond!!!!!

When I got to the ripe old age of 8, he decided to give the fish (the few that were left) a less stressful life. So he bought me a Seasafe dandy (a 16ft cork with a mast) , for some reason, he wouldn't trust me with his yacht!!! He would tow me out of the harbour, then anchor in the bay, while I sailed around closeby....... sometimes too close.......

wondered why he turned grey very quickly that year........

Sue

P.S May I send my sincere appologies to the Shubunkins, Golden Orfe's and Koi, for the disruption to their home by - numerous, sinking of vessel, dis-masting's and Allan's smelly feet, and attempted murder by hand.