New cruising from Canada (west coast)

[mattydee99]

Just bought my first boat! A 35ft sailboat! I'm really diving into this head first. I've taken basic sailing lessons, one cruising lesson and I've been out only a few times on the water after that.

I'm at a good marina, pretty much in the heart of downtown Vancouver. I am nervous as heck, wondering what I got myself into, but this is something that I've been wanting since 2019.

So nervous... I'm just trying to get the deal closed and all the paperwork in order today.

I will be too nervous to take it out of the marina. So I'll need someone with more experience the first few times. Thinking of hiring a professional skipper. My plan is to get more and more comfortable just sailing out into the bay. Practicing all the basic skills, tacking, jibing, heave to, anchoring, etc.

Once I get better and better, trips to the local islands here, eventually down the pacific coast and beyond!

Just wanted to say hi and share my semi freakout.

[SailingHoot]

Congrats! Are you in Heather Civic or Spruce Harbour?

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mattydee.

[henryk]

Congrats Matty and welcome to 'The Club'. What a beautiful place to have a sailboat in, right downtown Vancouver. You'll learn how to sail in no time. Watch YT videos on the basics and don't be afraid to go out. Like i always said "andy dumb ass can sail the boat, the key is to know how to fix them". Greetings from Kelowna

[mattydee99]

Thanks guys! This will be an adventure and learning exp for me for sure!

[Sam Woodbridge]

Hello Matty and welcome!

Your story is super similar to mine when I bought my first sailboat. You know what I did. I sat at the marina and asked people I saw if they would take me out in this new to me sailboat. I was a open book and told everyone I don’t know how to sail and need help.

I bet I asked around 45 people throughout a week or so. I found two people who said let’s go out for a single day. They went out with me, but for a single day it wasn’t enough. I didn’t have any confidence in myself.

So, I kept asking and finally this person named Jim took me on. He took me out all the time and slowly I was able to do it all myself. It took time. Jim and I must have went out together 25 plus times in my 30 foot sailboat.

Maybe if you ask around you can find someone like Jim who volunteered his time and save money without having to hire a captain. I know if I was in your area I would happily go out with you.

Good luck Matty! And let the adventure start buddy

One thing I thought of, for some of us it’s hard to approach strangers and ask for help. I remind myself that, we all started from somewhere and most everyone needs a little help sometimes.

[grantmc]

Greetings to you Matty and hope that you enjoy your new to you boat.
Just go sailing and relax. You'll soon get the hang of it.

[mattydee99]

Originally Posted by Sam Woodbridge

Hello Matty and welcome!

Your story is super similar to mine when I bought my first sailboat. You know what I did. I sat at the marina and asked people I saw if they would take me out in this new to me sailboat. I was a open book and told everyone I don’t know how to sail and need help.

I bet I asked around 45 people throughout a week or so. I found two people who said let’s go out for a single day. They went out with me, but for a single day it wasn’t enough. I didn’t have any confidence in myself.

So, I kept asking and finally this person named Jim took me on. He took me out all the time and slowly I was able to do it all myself. It took time. Jim and I must have went out together 25 plus times in my 30 foot sailboat.

Maybe if you ask around you can find someone like Jim who volunteered his time and save money without having to hire a captain. I know if I was in your area I would happily go out with you.

Good luck Matty! And let the adventure start buddy

One thing I thought of, for some of us it’s hard to approach strangers and ask for help. I remind myself that, we all started from somewhere and most everyone needs a little help sometimes.

That's good to hear! I hope to meet my Jim soon...

[desodave]

Welcome aboard mattydee from a local cruiser. Maybe this thread posted a few days ago is a match for you:

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...d.php?t=265150

[nightowle]

Welcome - hiring a captain for a few outings is a good idea. Particularly to get comfortable with docking. As mentioned previously, you might find a "Jim" but the suggestion to watch YouTube videos is a really good one, too. See you out and about on the Salish Sea!!

[mattydee99]

Originally Posted by nightowle

Welcome - hiring a captain for a few outings is a good idea. Particularly to get comfortable with docking. As mentioned previously, you might find a "Jim" but the suggestion to watch YouTube videos is a really good one, too. See you out and about on the Salish Sea!!

Yea that's my main concern: docking! I feel like I have good fundamentals out at sea. I'm using a docking simulator on my iPhone now. Do you have any suggestions?

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by mattydee99

Yea that's my main concern: docking! I feel like I have good fundamentals out at sea. I'm using a docking simulator on my iPhone now. Do you have any suggestions?

Even if you think you are going slow, slow down some more

When you get the chance (which will be few and far between in Vancouver) spend some time with an empty dock and some imaginary boats (just pile some coats on the dock) and try backing in, docking with the current, against the current, with the wind, against the wind, coming in at a 90° angle, etc. etc. etc.

It gets easier. Until of course you get cocky...

[desodave]

Originally Posted by mattydee99

Yea that's my main concern: docking! I feel like I have good fundamentals out at sea. I'm using a docking simulator on my iPhone now. Do you have any suggestions?

I agree with everything that MacBlaze had to say ... slow and easy BUT keep the boat moving. Learn how your boat backs up and get comfortable with it. Your boat will have prop walk ... it will pull to one side (likely port) when applying power in reverse. It is your friend, not your enemy ... learn how to use it to maneuver in tight spaces. And to pull the boat into the dock while stopping it at the same time. It will probably be a lot easier for you to dock on one side (likely port side, bow in) because of the prop walk. We all screw it up from time to time so no panic when you do it ... just analyze what you did right and wrong, and build on it next time. See you out in the Salish Sea one of these days ... enjoy the boat.

[newhaul]

Originally Posted by mattydee99

Just bought my first boat! A 35ft sailboat! I'm really diving into this head first. I've taken basic sailing lessons, one cruising lesson and I've been out only a few times on the water after that.

I'm at a good marina, pretty much in the heart of downtown Vancouver. I am nervous as heck, wondering what I got myself into, but this is something that I've been wanting since 2019.

So nervous... I'm just trying to get the deal closed and all the paperwork in order today.

I will be too nervous to take it out of the marina. So I'll need someone with more experience the first few times. Thinking of hiring a professional skipper. My plan is to get more and more comfortable just sailing out into the bay. Practicing all the basic skills, tacking, jibing, heave to, anchoring, etc.

Once I get better and better, trips to the local islands here, eventually down the pacific coast and beyond!

Just wanted to say hi and share my semi freakout.

Matt welcome to the problem called sailboats. All of the above are good suggestions most important is to get out here and enjoy it. Hope to see you out in the Satish this summer .

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by mattydee99

Yea that's my main concern: docking! I feel like I have good fundamentals out at sea. I'm using a docking simulator on my iPhone now. Do you have any suggestions?

Thinking this over I would like to add (in addition to DesoDave's comments):

• You need to be making way to have steerage. Steerage is all about water flowing over the rudder...it's something that helps to visualize (at least for me)
• Rig a midship line (especially if you are a couple or single-handing).
• Always talk over a docking "attempt" with crew before hand.
• BC generally has bull rails. Instruct your crew (and practice yourself) to wrap the line OVER the rail, then UNDER the rail (back towards the boat, usually a quick toss of a bight will do it) and the back over again. It takes very little time and allows one person to pin the boat to the dock in most conditions if necessary
• As a corollary to that learn how to tie a clove hitch on a bight quickly and without thinking about
• Tell any crew NEVER to pin the boat to the dock unless you instruct them to i.e. "Take a wrap!"
• As soon as you are confident enough, never (well almost never...) let anyone else "help" or grab a line. (This happened to me again last week and I ended up needing 3 people to fend the boat off the corner of the dock because I couldn't maneuver...sigh)
• Like a car, try and learn where your bow is, where the widest part of the beam is, etc.
• boats pivot around the center when you turn. Take some time to learn where your boat's pivot point is. Quite often you can run the bow almost right up to a dock at 90° and then turn slowly, bringing it along side.
• Don't jump off the boat. It's terrifying every time i see someone do that.

And under the category of confessional, remember to take the bloody boat out of gear when you hop off to help a crew member on an especially windy day. Somehow leaving the boat in forward makes it especially hard to keep it pinned to the dock

Just a few things from our recent cruise...