New/ Old Sailer

[Shellbuyer]

Hi there, I am 50 retired male who recently bought a 23' Olympic Dolphin, good condition with a new Tohatsu sail drive outboard. I have sailed many years ago and have experience on the water, so my wife and I were looking for a hobby.... We decided on sailing since we live on the ocean! Now it has been many years and unlike a bicycle and learning to ride it did not come back to me lol. Anyway I purchased the Navionics app for my phone and away we went.... Sailing but being nervous, we only used the jib, as that seems easy to control! I quickly discovered that the boat sails best close hauled or beam reaching.... At least with the jib out anyway. Any suggestions what I might have been doing wrong when reaching, I would totally loose steering.... Until I trimmed the jib in a bit. Thanks, I hope it is ok to ask that here.

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum. Maybe try the main too and see what happens.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Shellbuyer.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Welcome to CF !

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

Welcome to the forum. Maybe try the main too and see what happens.

I'll bet this might work...

[Scot McPherson]

Yep, main out first then jib

[Shellbuyer]

Thanks, I was just using jib until my wife and I were comfortable getting up there and hoisting mainsail etc. Now that we have a few sails under our belt and I have practiced a gazillion times docking and picking up mooring bridles.... Time for next step.... Sometimes I wish I was much younger and not so wary of what can happen lol
Thanks everyone

[Lova]

Hello to everybody

I am a newbie in sailing, just started and I've got my very first boat Maxi77 model. I can't wait for my first voyage on my own boat, in few weeks.

A couple of words about me:

I am former merchant marine officer used to go the sea for 7 years. I was working on big tankers sailing across the globe. Having settled to work ashore for more than eight years, I do miss the majesty of the sea, the fresh breezes, beautiful sunsets and sunrises, mighty storms and many other feelings only sea can give to us. I had never tried to sail before, until friend of mine invited me to one trip on a small sailing boat. And, I fall in love with sea again and found going under sails something completely different form sailing on motorships. Going under sails is something very magnificent, even magic So few months later I got the Maxi77, and can't wait to make my first voyage across the Baltic Sea.

[Old Snipe]

50 and retired..... I think I hate you Welcome to the forum.

Have fun with the boat. Like you, I got away from the water after I retired from the navy. I probably have 30 marina's within 25 miles of me here in Virginia Beach. I just bought a old 26' islander without a clue of how to sail.

You probably have a jump on some people just by practicing your docking procedures. I was visiting a friend yesterday at his marina having a coffee in the cockpit of his boat. We watched a guy "pinball" his boat off 5-6 pile on's and then clip a couple boats. He was heading right at my buddy's outboard until I pushed him away with a bow hook. No thank you, or a "hey sorry guys". He bent the stern rail on one boat a couple slips over. After he tied up, he tried to leave the marina until my friend called the dock master. We went back to our coffee almost completely dumbfounded afterwards.

[Shellbuyer]

Oh my! Exactly what I don't want to have happen....

[Lova]

Thanks guys for welcoming
I used to drive large tankers not sailing boats. Therefore a good friend of mine is going to bear a huge amount of patience to teach me how to sail. I will be a good student, I promise

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum.

[Lova]

Thank you

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
There are always classes around for refresher if you don't mind being a student. Just because you're a boat owner doesn't mean you can't take classes to learn how to operate it safely. USCG Auxiliary offers very inexpensive classroom lessons.

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard Lova and Shellbuyer.

Lova, I think you will learn very well with your friend. Being mentored is the most fun way of learning I know of.

Shellbuyer, good on you, for all your practicing. If you pay attention, you'll soon get better at it, and more confident. Sailing with others is one way to learn and has a lot to recommend it; or, if you follow other boats around a race course, you can quickly pick up tricks to improve your skills, or actually crew on boats that are racing. You learn different skippers' approaches to situations, which lead to your making choices relative to what you'd do. And sure, refreshing your memories of the Colregs with a focus on your sailboat will be a good deal.

Ann

[Rustic Charm]

Welcome Lova and Shellbuyer.

50 and retired?

I'm pretty new at the sail thing too. Magical it is when those sails go up. I think your further along than me already, you got the terminology down pat. I'm not too good at the 'parking', played it by ear a lot. But I have a steel boat and they can take a few dings. Past year I've purchased a mooring and they are so much easier to get on and off.

Just go for it. start off in mild weather and build up. Make mistakes and have fun. Personally unless you particularly want to get involved in racing I wouldn't. There is a saying that 'racing teaches you sailmanship, crusing teaches you seamanship'. But getting out and 'doing it', you will gain the sail technique particular to your vessel.