Just Bought My First Sailboat

[salmonlv]

Hi all. I'm one of the 'wannabes' asked about in a thread a little while ago. I joined the forum a while back but have mainly been lurking since I figured I didn't have anything to add to any of the conversations. Just bought my first sailboat yesterday so that my son and I can learn how to sail. Only a 15' sailing dinghy, but that seemed to be the consensus on the best way to learn. When we go out on Lake Mead (hopefully tomorrow) it might be a case of the blind leading the blind. The only real concern I have is that I'm not sure how to slow down and/or maneuver enough to get the boat back on the trailer (kind of like an airline pilot not knowing how to land). Hopefully we'll figure it out. We'll have to only use the main since the jib is 40 years old and falling apart. Looking to buy a new jib before too long. I'll have to buy an anchor as well since my daughter wants to go out and fish (definitely not going to ask what kind of anchor ). Anyway, really excited about finally being able to get on the water.

-Sam

[jeanathon]

Congratulations!
Couple of ways to slow down.
An anchor is one!
Dumping wind or backwinding the sail, or simply dropping the sail are easy ones.
Sometimes turning into the wind to put the boat in irons is helpful depending on the situation.
Don't forget to take a paddle. You can drop the main sail and row up to the trailer.
Good luck. Post the story of the first day out on sailors confessional!

[Allan S]

Congrats on the boat

[salmonlv]

Thanks. You're not the only one to suggest a paddle. Probably pick one up before getting in the water.

[Adventurebound]

Have fun and keep looking forward. I heard of someone cruising around the world in a boat about that size.

[deckofficer]

Come back to this thread and let us know how it went for your first day.

[maryjoalle]

Invitation to Sail...check this book out. When we started sailing 35 years ago we read to Chapter #4....got us started!

[salmonlv]

Well, I definitely should have read something. It turned out to be a comedy of errors which ended with a $100 tow back to the marina.

[deckofficer]

Originally Posted by salmonlv

Well, I definitely should have read something. It turned out to be a comedy of errors which ended with a $100 tow back to the marina.

Well, you got my attention, care to elaborate?

[salmonlv]

When I get back home I'll type up a description of the whole thing.

[maryjoalle]

Cannot wait to hear, but know for your own safety find a mentor who is willing to help you learn the basics AND start racing! You'll learn a lot fast.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by maryjoalle

Cannot wait to hear, but know for your own safety find a mentor who is willing to help you learn the basics AND start racing! You'll learn a lot fast.

Yeah... how to leave a 60ft Oyster mid-Atlantic...

[jeanathon]

Originally Posted by salmonlv

Well, I definitely should have read something. It turned out to be a comedy of errors which ended with a $100 tow back to the marina.

Ahem! Taking a paddle wasn't a suggestion, more of a reminder.
Errors are how some of us learn. My own first day out I ran aground and ran abridge on the same day. Looking forward to hearing the story. As long as no one was hurt.....all's well that ends well.

[salmonlv]

Nobody was hurt. Thank goodness. The problems started at the loading ramp. My son and I put the boat in the water and I had him stay with it while I parked the car. When I came back I said to him to make sure the boat doesn't float away and he replied, "I don't think it will since its full of water." WHAT?! That's when I remembered that the PO showed me the through hulls and how to open and close them. Unfortunately I forgot which way was open and which way was closed. Oh well, we figured that we could figure out which way to close them and that we could bail so we pushed off. Oh, by the way, we hadn't attached the tiller/rudder yet nor had we raised the sail. Probably should have done that while tied to the dock. There we were floating aimlessly away from the dock trying to attach the rudder. That took a while. Then we focused our attention to trying to raise the main, but it was so windy that it kept getting caught on the shrouds. Meanwhile we are floating directly at a rocky island about a half mile out from the marina. Unfortunately, by the time we got the sail up, we were bouncing against the rocks of the island, so we lowered the sail. Tried for a while to get it off the rocks to no avail and then just ended up sitting there for about an hour, trying to figure out what to do. The wind was blowing directly at the island; we didn't think we were going to be able to get it off so we tried to flag down any passing boats.
A nice man, Carl, in a sailboat saw us and came by and tried to tow us out. He motored by and shouted that we would have to tie off really quick as he was passing. Check. He tossed the rope and I caught it. Great! I'm thinking , "the wife never needs to know since Carl is saving the day." Here's where I screw it all up (again). Remembering reading on cruisersforum once that when being towed you tie to the mast, so that's what I do. Well, that tips the boat over on its beam and puts the mast in the water. Now I'm thinking that I just put Carl's boat in danger and I'm apologizing over and over again. We right the boat, but now its completely full of water and it's so windy that the waves are just going over the sides. Bailing is of no use. Carl offers to take us back to shore, but I decide to stay with it, thinking that eventually the wind would die down and we'd be able to get off this blasted rock.
It took a while, but the wind died down enough to bail, but we were still stuck on rock. I swallowed my pride and called the marina for a tow. And here I am with my tail between my legs. Thankfully nobody was hurt and the boat is back home on the trailer.

[deckofficer]

Got to hand it to you, a "comedy of errors" does accurately describe that outing. Good learning curve though, that is a lot of **** that you won't let happen again, like staying clear of a lee shore.