HOw did you begin

[witchcraft]

I am curious as to how many of you began sailing.
Certainly , in my case, my husband had a dream of sailboat. We bought that first boat, fixed it up. Launched in in the spring, I had my very first sail on my birthday. Never looked back.
Having said that, I got very frightened the very second time we sailed. All turned out well, and it did not put me off. I did become a wind watcher, and am heard to say, ok there is more wind arriving, perhaps we should shorten sail. On the present vessel, this does not happen as soon since the much heavier vessel requires more wind.
Cheers
Witchcraft

I honestly do not remember the first time I sailed. I have been on the water my whole life. starting young on canoes to ice breakers. If it floated, I was on it. I would say it was a gradual progression, as I was on a number of sail boats where the owners just motored. My wife on the otherhand, had a much more traumatic introduction. Her first sail was while we were diagnosing some problems on a boat that belonged to a customer while we were working at a boat shop. We sailed? with the owner from Santa Cruz to Moss Landing, about 12 miles. He did raise the sails, but refused to shut off the engine, and was so nervous that he spent the whole trip trimming his fingers with a razor blade. Nice guy but a bit hard to sail with. Her second sail was the hundred mile trip on our first cruising boat from Redwood City to Moss Landing through 20 foot seas with a bad leak and failed bilge pumps. It speaks well of her character that she is still willing to cruise

[witchcraft]

I feel very lucky to have learned with someone who does not suffer from the need to yell and scream. When I was frightened he was calm, and would say, just do this, all is well.
I took up humming the tune from gilligans island when I was nervous. AS time progressed and I felt more able to handle the boat I became less nervous.
Learning how to do things was the antidote to my fears and nerves.
A calm sailing partner helped that to happen.
Cheers
Witchcraft

[debby]

HIS DREAM - My husband had said for years that he wanted a sailboat by the time he was 45. Well, 6 girls later, he had almost forgotten that dream. When only 1 was left at home I encouraged him to look for that little sailboat he always wanted. We had moved all over the country and ended up in Delaware. I enjoyed looking with him and we finally settled on a very neglected Hunter 34. He was traveling to San Diego and back and decided to begin serious sailing classes while there. We had lots of fun with that boat.

MY DREAM - I loved being on the water and sailing. I began reading everything from cruisers who had left and gone traveling around the globe. I wanted to go out there with them.

OUR DREAM - I pushed until he said yes. So now we are on our boat in the Chesapeake and getting ready for early retirement 2/07.

See - it's not always the guy that gets the girl to go. Our girls still refer to our current situation as "Mom's Dream".

[seagypsywoman]

When I was about 25, a family friend took me out on a Laser on a lake and I fell madly, passionately, in love with sailing on that day. My husband at the time and I then bought a Sabot and tried to learn on our own but the boat was too tippy and not as much fun for raw beginners.

I returned to the university as a mature student and joined their sailing club which had Lasers. For the next several years I was on the boat every Sunday. I also crewed on Thunder Birds for the Wednesday night round the buoys races.

It took about fifteen years (and a divorce) before I bought my first live-aboard boat and I haven't looked back since. I wish I had done it sooner.

[witchcraft]

It was my idea to get the bigger boat and move aboard full time. Then work toward longer cruising.
Yes indeed it is not always the mans idea.
Fair Winds
Witchcraft

[BudgetBird]

So here I am. 37 and a half, with a 45ft ketch. Absolute bloody beginner with sailing. Have quit my job as 'fake' teacher in Japan and will move to Mexico to, um, sit on the boat and bemoan the fact that I ever believed he'd stick around.
Wanchor.
Wonder how far I'll get?
Anyone want to buy a boat?

[CaptainK]

Sorry to hear about that bit of news BudgetBird.

I also hope that "if" you do move to Mexico. There is alot of good sailing areas down there. Should you decide to keep your boat?

Another thing is that during these times. You will be saddened by certain losses. And you may make certain hasty moves? But you'll pull through this. And I hope you will pull through, after your loss!!

Another thing to add here BudgetBird. If you do decide to sale your ferrocement boat. You will not get much for the boat. And that ferro boats don't get much market value. You'll end up with less money, form selling the boat. Than from the amount of money you did spend on buying the boat. All ferro owners have to go through with this $$$ loss. Due to the insurance companies and the boating public in general, hates (afraid of) ferro boats?

[BudgetBird]

Cpt K
It's about time folks stopped dissing ferros. It gets boring to hear the same old, same old.
I guess you aren't a ferro owner.
She's lovely.
And hasn't got me in debt.
And won't depreciate like the usual tupperware or tin cans.
Selling her is the least of my worries. There's a market out there for classic boats like mine.

Budgetbird, when you lose everything, there is nothing left to lose. You have a boat, a destination, and nothing better to do, go cruising.

[CaptainK]

Yes, BudgetBird.

It's a shame that the mass majority of the people out there, (Diss) ferroboats.

I myself am a fan of ferro's. When I first started on this forum. I don't know if you read the entire ferrocement thread. But, I'm in that thread.

I asked all kinds of questions. Unfortunely, there are alot of forum members who dislike ferro's. And there are ferro owners on this forum. Alan Wheeler is one of them!! And Kai Nui use to own one. Liveaboard one alongside a slip in Moss Landing, California.

No I don't own a ferro boat. I still wouldn't mind owning one. I have heard lots of great things about them. Maybe in the future I might come across one and buy it. Or just build a new ferrocement boat? Only the future can tell?

[shellback]

I began sailing when I was 13/14 years old. Some friends of my family at that time used to do weekend, day trips to Rockport Resevoir up near Park City, Utah. The other families older son, had an old Sunfish, I expressed interest and he calmly, taught me how to sail over a weekend..then soon, I was hooked!

I eventually bought that little boat (with help of my dad at that ripe young age I was). Then later sailed catamarans. My dream almost escaped me as I went 15 years with only dreams of sailing and no boat, but finally bought a neglected 23' sailboat in 2002, refitted her over 2 years sailed her in 2004-2006. Sold her and moved up to a 27' sailboat.

Don't dream your life - live your dream! No matter where it takes you, it's the journey we must enjoy!

[David_Old_Jersey]

I was "Pressed Ganged" when I was about 3 foot tall.

[Holding Pattern]

My husband and I have very different backgrounds. Before we met he had been through the South Pacific on a research grant gone bad but got good by meeting cruisers - had had the opportunity to sail extensively down there. He had the fever when we met and we almost split because he had a crew position crossing the Atlantic.

I have been legally blind since childhood and lived in landlocked Ohio. I had always been an adventurer - dismaying people by the things I tried (and succeeded) doing. Rock climbing, hiking, spelunking (caving), etc.

When Brian and I came up with our 10 year plan to get out of debt, save, sell, buy out boat and move onboard everyone thought we were nuts. At one point things got really rough and I was the driving force...hanging up pictures, finding sailing/cruising stories online. I hadn't traveled widely so here was my only real chance to see the world. Do it yourself.
We moved to Florida, bought a small sailboat so I could get used to the feel. Ours turned out to be a 7-year plan when we sold everything we owned, including Freedom, and found Holding Pattern, our 40' 1974 Challenger ketch. We've lived onboard for 18 months, 12 of that on the hook never touching a dock once. Thankfully Brian can work from onboard and add to the cruising kitty every 2 weeks like clockwork. So in return I know every system onboard so maintenance is split and easy for us both in the end.

HP is cockpit rigged, a wide variety of colors in the lines so it is easy to know what's what. Roller furling headsail, easy to handle self-tacking staysail...plus full batten main and mizzen. I am confident to handle her everywhere but in close quarters where vision counts, where visual piloting is important...then I become the anchor wench. Now high seas and clipped in isn't my idea of a great time but I do what I have to because HP is my home. We both protect her and she does the same for us.

I enjoy being known as the 'hardcore cruising chick'...it fits me better than whatever hideous fashion is 'in' these days.

[dana-tenacity]

At 13 I had been sailing dighies up the river in Whangarei for a few years. My grandparentsd had a house facing the river. One day the was a coule of funny old people using grandma's laundry and carrying everything back over the road to their boat. They showed me around and told me how they could go antwhere they wanted just by untying the docklines. I was sold and 12 years later had my own ocean going sailboat,
Their names were Eric and Susan Hiscock.