It's our first sailboat

[lifeofreilly57]

Buy good charts for your area and actually look at them, it'll keep you off the rocks long enough to actually give you time to figure out that sailing stuff. Chart plotters don't give you the same picture in your mind. The sailing parts not so hard.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[lifeofreilly57]

The Catalina is a very forgiving boat that's hard to really screw up.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

Buy good charts for your area and actually look at them, it'll keep you off the rocks long enough to actually give you time to figure out that sailing stuff.

Good advice! Paper charts are something you can pour over at home. Get to know the names of the points, islands and shoals. Have a look at where you could anchor for different winds. The best place for all this info is in your head. Nothing makes me feel more sailorly(?) than spreading out a big chart on the dining table.

I also like this free chart web site:
http://webapp.navionics.com/#@6&key=s%7CbmGb%7BvqM

[zedpassway]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

Buy good charts for your area and actually look at them, it'll keep you off the rocks long enough to actually give you time to figure out that sailing stuff. Chart plotters don't give you the same picture in your mind. The sailing parts not so hard.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

You don't have to buy them, you can download the most current one and print them into a book. I've done that for my cruising area.

They are pdfs so you can enlarge them:

NOAA's On-Line Chart Viewer

[NZBRAND]

Congratulations on the new boat.
Just get as much time on the water as possible with your boat and enjoy.

[HBNH]

Read, and read some more. Knowledge is helpful.. Congrats, and have safe fun!

[Crisco41]

Great advice. Going g to try it

[sailingtwins]

Here's my two cents for what its worth. You can check out my profile for my credentials.

First you say you know nothing about sailing. To answer this you must check your budget, I don't mean to assume too much but the Catalina 36 mk II can be a pricey boat. That being said, the best option would be to find a club to join. The less pricey, more personal learning experience may be had by buying a small two person sailing dinghy and taking that out together once you have gained some book knowledge on sail theory.

Secondly, taking your vessel out the inlet and setting the sails is a nice, unobstructed way of learning your vessels points of sail. (With the proper charts in hand to avoid jetties and sunken obstacles). Make it a point to know that your only destination is the dock or ball from whence you came. Pay attention to the weather, have on hand and wear the appropriate safety gear, and get a tow membership with Boat US or Sea Tow. Not because your vessel is unreliable, but in that off chance you misread a chart and bury your keel in mud or wrap a line in your propeller and run aground before you can dive it.

[NorthernSeaWolf]

Originally Posted by jeepgodd

Nope its all new to us

Wow...

I'm always flabbergasted when someone who hasn't sailed up and buys a 30+ft sailboat. You must have pirate blood!



Congrats!

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by NorthernSeaWolf

Wow...

I'm always flabbergasted when someone who hasn't sailed up and buys a 30+ft sailboat. You must have pirate blood!



Congrats!

Over the years it seems the size of a "reasonable first boat" has slowly increased. When I first started sailing most people would get a day sailor or maybe a 22-25 foot boat, I can't say whether that's from prudence or lack of money. Now it seems anyone I've known that's gotten into sailing in the last 10 years has bought something around 30', and wouldn't consider anything smaller, again, I'm not sure if this is because they feel it's a comfortable size or they are just better funded than most of the people I knew years back.
I don't have an opinion either way on size, but from an economic point of view I feel it's an expensive venture if you find it's not for you.
Just the same I'm always glad to see a new participant in the sport and will welcome them with wishes of good luck, I'll also offer pointers on how to keep safe if they're open to it. I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt or discouraged before they gain enough knowledge to enjoy the pursuit they've chosen.

[NorthernSeaWolf]

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

...from an economic point of view I feel it's an expensive venture if you find it's not for you.

VERY! If it's not, boats aren't trucks, sometimes they sit on the market for years.... I'm not sure if everyone who jumps in the deep end truly sees the full financial/time obligations...

Originally Posted by lifeofreilly57

I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt or discouraged before they gain enough knowledge to enjoy the pursuit they've chosen.

Nobody likes to be discouraged, but mostly I worry about safety. I think we've all seen the results of inexperienced helmsmen - navigating 15K lbs of displacement requires due care.

I wish them safe seas!

[jeepgodd]

Thanks for all the comments and as far as the boat being too big it's not my first boat just my first sail boat my last boat was a 30 foot go fast boat and while the catilina is not as responsive and doesn't have twin engines currants and windage are similar while docking

[Crisco41]

We are looking for our first boat and want to wish you well with your boat. I imagine it's an exciting time and look forward to it as well.
We personally are not sailors but imagine this first yr will mostly be motoring on the local lakes and rivers. As we get comfir, we will begin to sail. Lots to.learn but as someone with experience told me. ..it's not rocket science. Good luxk and many happy days on the water

[lifeofreilly57]

Originally Posted by jeepgodd

Thanks for all the comments and as far as the boat being too big it's not my first boat just my first sail boat my last boat was a 30 foot go fast boat and while the catilina is not as responsive and doesn't have twin engines currants and windage are similar while docking

If you came out of go fast boats your going to feel like your in one of the Matrix movies, where all the bullets seem to be going soooo slowly, then again, there's a whole new set of challenges to master, it certainly won't be boring.
You'll definitely be much more aware of currents and tides, when you've only got 6.5 knots of hull speed on a good day and a motor that is truly an auxillary you'll be carrying a tide chart regularly. Not to mention the increased draft, charts are really important.
I built and ran hydroplanes as a youth, the last one got rolled a couple times before I decided to change lanes, so to speak, and went over to the dark side, I've never regretted it since. There is so much to learn, so much to experience, it continues to be interesting and challenging to this day(42 years later), I continue to learn and refine every time I sail.
It's not about the destination(mostly) it's about the journey there.
Good Luck and good sailing, you have a lot of good people offering their accumulated knowledge on this site, all of whom are interested in your well being and safety while your move forward into your new venture, hope it all works out well.
If any of us were completely sane we'd never even have tried it in the first place.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by NorthernSeaWolf

Wow...

I'm always flabbergasted when someone who hasn't sailed up and buys a 30+ft sailboat. You must have pirate blood!



Congrats!

I think it's more common than you might think, our boat is the only sailboat I've ever owned and I never sailed on a boat before I bought this one.
I did have rather extensive powerboat experience though, only thing that has been a learning curve for me is docking, just have to plan better and be more methodical with a full keel heavy sailboat than a twin engine Sport fisherman of the same size.