My first sail ever!

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by Lou254

It's nice to see your involved and making a reply . This demonstrates you are reading making an effort to be interactive. I think you will have a lot of us trying to give advice. We are as happy as you are. For whatever reasons sailing has been declining about 8% a year. If you keep sailing your reversing that trend. You have started with a good size boat and it has a wheel. This may not be as intuitive as a dingy but if you do not have any other comparisons any place is a good start. Man has been sailing for ages. You might find some older sailors that are more than willing to help. If you find them to crusty leave them on the dock asap. Lessons are an option if you have the cash. You can continue on your own. My first advice is kiss keep it simple and safe. Take the best care of your sails and your boat as possible with your budget they will take care of you. Everything on the boat is for the sails the hull the rig and even the monkey with the line. If you start just sailing on the main that will work. You can also sail on just the jib. Then try to use them both or go right to it with both and have at it. Let's all give ya a hand mate! A bad day on the water is better than a good day inland Kind Regards, Lou

Thanks Lou! I always enjoy the information that the community provides. Especially here on cruisers!

And I definitely agree with you - I'll take a bad day on the water over a day inland any day!

[rbyham]

Myself being more a visual learner in year 4 can recall how helpful all the basic youtube sailing videos were. Lots of instructional stuff for free on the interwebs...

[rbyham]

Another thought... gotta believe there are some very capable sailors on this site who are also in Kemah... maybe someone will help with first lessons. I recall just 4 years ago motoring my newly launched Hinterhoeller 28 into her new slip. I did not even have a sail rigged from the splash to the slip. Cuz I did not know how. As I pulled into the slip two marina workers helped me land and 3 other boat owners walked over to say hello. Before I knew it 4 guys were pulling out my sails and rigging the boat for me. Now I return the favor whenever I can for other new sailors.

[siamese]

Originally Posted by TooCoys

LOL! He isn't. And he said that lifting the sail, and keeping the arrow at the top of the mast pointed to the wind is about the extent of his knowledge.

I have other friends who are going to teach me. One has a 1978 Perry 47' Ketch, the other has a 32' Jouet, and the other has a 38' Hunter liveaboard. The friend with the 47' Perry is my main source of education since he is ASA 101, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108 certified, and working on his 110.

That's great. Sounds like you've got it made. I think we experienced sailors had two reactions to your video.

1. Isn't it terrific that you're enjoying the experience of sailing.

2. Oh, no...he's doing this, and this and this WRONG! Drives us nuts.

Forgive us for the second reaction, okay? For any of us with reasonable mental health, the first reaction is the only one that's important.

I think much of the other friendly critiques and assumptions are from people who want you to be as successful as possible as soon as possible so you'll stick with it.

Best of luck to you.

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by siamese

1. Isn't it terrific that you're enjoying the experience of sailing.

2. Oh, no...he's doing this, and this and this WRONG! Drives us nuts.

Forgive us for the second reaction, okay? For any of us with reasonable mental health, the first reaction is the only one that's important.

Ah! No harm, no foul! I completely understand how it is.

As long as the critic is constructive, I'll take as much as I can get because even if I don't understand it today, one day I'll remember reading about it and it will all make sense!

[Three Sisters]

Spotted your temp hatch cover at 1:51 in the video. Great !

[TooCoys]

Originally Posted by Three Sisters

Spotted your temp hatch cover at 1:51 in the video. Great !

Yup. I made a temporary fix until we can glass it all in and cut a new hole later next fall.

[doc_cj]

I'm so excited for you ... and for me. I hope to get my sail up for the first time next week. There has been lots of good advice here, but if you'received like me more than half of it is over my head right now. What I've been doing is reading all the advice and then jotting down every phrase, word, or instruction I didn't understand.

After reading the forums a bit I then head into the search mode so that I can look up every word, phrase and instruction to get some answers. Take the word "luff," which appears a dozen times or more in the replies. I found that the word has two meanings: (1) the forward edge of the sail, or (2) the point at which the sail passes the prime point of being usable and begins to flap against the wind instead.

In effect, I believe, by reading the forums - along with good books and listending to local sailors - I in a way have some very good lessons. All of that, of course, I plan to use when I get the sail up. We'll see how well my plan works.

Looking forward to your next adventure.

[Sandero]

Beginners need to know the language / jargon of sailing. It's necessary. It may be hard to understand why things have the name that they do... and learning that is of interest too.

But when some says your sailing is luffing... you need to know what that means... and the names for the 3 edges of a triangular sail... luff, foot and leach... and luff tension, leach tension and foot tension and what changing these do to sail shape... and what different sail shapes mean for sailing.

There ya go... hit the books!

[Suijin]

Another hypnotic affair will be when you get the sail fixed and get out there and learn a bit more about how the sails function and get them trimmed properly...and the boat finds it's groove and just accelerates...that's the true Zen moment, and you're going to love it.

I am going to suggest however that you and your crew/passengers do consider wearing life jackets until you are more proficient. Although the water there is warm, there are things that can happen on a sailboat that are dangerous compared to being on a powerboat. Until you understand all the risks it would be prudent to protect yourself.

For example accidental gybe, boom hits you on the head and knocks you out AND over the side. Doesn't matter how warm the water is if you're face down and unconscious.

Last summer in Annapolis I was racing with serious sailing friends...everyone on the boat had 15+ years of experience. On the way out to the course, sails up, the helmsman was momentarily distracted in conversation and we gybed. Guy in the cockpit stood up just as the boom was coming over and took it right to the side of the head and would have keeled right over the side if someone had not grabbed him by the belt. Fortunately he only had a mild concussion. It was not even that windy; had it been blowing a bit harder he would have been knocked out cold. Moral of the story, it can happen to anybody. Accidents are accidents and don't spare the knowledgeable folks any more than the newbies.

And stopping a boat under sail and getting back to the MOB is a bit more involved and time consuming that in a powerboat. And then there is the matter of getting them back into the boat, which can be much easier said than done if they are injured. A good PFD safeguards you in many circumstances.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Sandero

Beginners need to know the language / jargon of sailing. It's necessary. It may be hard to understand why things have the name that they do... and learning that is of interest too.

But when some says your sailing is luffing... you need to know what that means... and the names for the 3 edges of a triangular sail... luff, foot and leach... and luff tension, leach tension and foot tension and what changing these do to sail shape... and what different sail shapes mean for sailing.

There ya go... hit the books!

Or you can just learn a word or two here and there and just go sailing.

I knew luff early on but that's about it.....

My 10 year old crew knew less so there wasn't a problem and we were racing! (one design)