Been lurking for two years, Austin TX

[WayneG]

A brief introduction. On a RCL cruise two years ago, I saw a couple of large sailboats pulling out of port in Charlotte Amalie. I told my wife I wanted to try sailing. Since then I have joined this forum and a couple of others to read all I could. We have also subscribed to a couple of magazines and bought a half dozen books. The closest we have been to a sailboat has been to a couple boat shows, one in Corpus and more recently in St Pete. This March we are headed to Red Hook, St Thomas for ASA 101, 103, and 104 lessons. I can't remember anyone in my family ever mentioning sailing except for reading about my forefather coming across the Atlantic from Weymouth England in 1628 aboard the Abigail.

There are so many questions still to be answered, doing searches here and on google has been a great help. I would however like to visit with someone in Austin, just to pick their brain a bit so we don't look like complete newbies before we head out in March.

Wayne

[GordMay]

Greetings, and welcome aboard Wayne.
Hope you find a local, with whom to talk sailing, and enjoy your VI sailing.

[Hud3]

Welcome to the forum, Wayne. Hope you find what you need here!

[Soft Air]

Hi Wayne, welcome aboard. My boat is at the BVI and I should be there on March, PM me if you would like to have a couple of beers on board

[Stillraining]

Welcome Aboard Wayne..I dont know how you keep quiet so long..I could not have done it...I guess Im just a blabber mouth...

Sounds like you know what you want and are going for it..I wish you the very best experiance to be had with your instruction...And dont worrie one little bit about looking like a newbie..you already have done more then 50% of 101 class takers just by opening your first book let alone the many you have devoured already..Your instructor will consider you a dream student..

[WayneG]

Some of the topics in the forums have been a bit scarey, being a newbie. All in all I am glad I found this site. As for our lessons, I already told my wife not to ask me any questions, one I probably wouldn't be able to give her the right answer, two that's why we're paying for lessons.


Wayne

[Stillraining]

Your a smart man...she will listen to and apply what the instructor tells her about the same thing you would have but failed to communicate...Unless you have been married less then a week that is...

[RTB]

Have you considered getting you feet wet sailing at a lake close to home? There is the Austin Yacht Club at Lake Travis, near you. Go to www.austinyachtclub.org. They have adult and junior sail training. They just had the Red Eye Regatta on New Years Day. Pretty active group. Welcome to the forum.

Ralph

[skipmac]

Hi Wayne,

Seems like you have been well bitten by the sailing bug. Your response is about the same as mine 35 years ago. The biggest boat I was on growing up was 12' Sears aluminum jonboat. Then I lucked into a short sailing trip with a college buddy and was never the same. Went home and read literally every boat book and magazine I could get my hands on and kept my eyes open for boats looking for delivery crew (easier if you are single).

All the reading didn't make me a sailor but I learned a lot about sailing and seamanship so when I did get out on a boat again I picked up on the practical side pretty quickly. So I think you are on the right track. Read everything you can, research the archives on this forum and ask lots of questions. Then take any opportunity you can to get out on the water. Pretty soon you will be doling out advise like Davy Jones.

Good luck and good sailing.

Skip

[Pblais]

This March we are headed to Red Hook, St Thomas for ASA 101, 103, and 104 lessons. I can't remember anyone in my family ever mentioning sailing except for reading about my forefather coming across the Atlantic from Weymouth England in 1628 aboard the Abigail.

Actually my dad was on a US Navy transport and sailed the Pacific in WW II. That is as far forward as my family history can go. I never saw salt water until I was 18 and after than not until I was over 40. You can come to sailing any way that gets you there. The ASA route got me and my wife sailing and we have salt water in the back yard.

If you have a million questions you must be doing something right. All the best to your sailing adventure! Questions we can handle and the rest is up to you.

If you expect too do all 3 ASA courses at once you best be studying until you can't see straight. Start finding ways to sail when you get back home! You don't want a great start to loose momentum. Anyway you can it the basic rule. Sailing is mostly about showing up!

[donw_s11]

Wayne,

Welcome. My wife and I were smitten by the sailing bug back in 1999 after years of owning powerboats. Now we've got a Catalina 27 on Lake Travis, and an Irwin C38 down on the Texas coast.

One thing I've learned about sailboats is that they take a lot more maintenance than a powerboat that sits on a hydrohoist under a roof when not in use!

Good luck with your journey into sailing!

Don W.

[WayneG]

I have lived in the Austin area for nearly 22 years. I have been on and around Lake Travis. We did some research on what was available on Lake Travis through web searches. Well, one thing led to another and the next thing I know my wife secretly books the lessons in St Thomas. What a wonderful girl? We will be stopping off in Puerto Rico before the flight over to St Thomas. I think we may run over to Fajardo and visit the marina.

Thanks for the well wishes.

Wayne

[Pblais]

One thing I've learned about sailboats is that they take a lot more maintenance than a powerboat that sits on a hydrohoist under a roof when not in use!

Two sail boats is something I did for 9 months and I sure won't be doing that on purpose again. I was lucky since they were just a few boat slips away from each other and 1 block from the house. I can't imagine doing what you do. In the end I'm sure you get a lot of sailing time that way. I did lake sailing a while and for day stuff it's great. I sure would hate to have to travel a long way to the boat.

I had a neighbor that traveled 5 hours to get to his boat. It was a Crealock PS 34 and he was refitting. During the season in Bayfield, WI he went up every other weekend after work on Friday then got home Sunday late at night. He did it for several years getting it ready for a circumnavigation. I suppose it was good discipline. You need a fair bit of that to sail.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Wayne,
Welcome aboard! Great to have you here and contributing on the forum. You'll have a great time in the Carib.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[mangomuffins]

Hey Wayne from former Austinian,

Lake Travis is a great place to practice sailing. You can encounter all sorts of conditions that can change RAPIDLY. Get two boats... one for the lake and one for the coast

welcome,
mm