New sailor

[Frombushtosea]

Hello all I am new to sailing as I purchased a tanzer 22 this spring and have since put on about 500 Nautical miles. Soon to be moving up to a bigger boat I just picked up a c&c38. My wife and I hope to leave for a year sailing three years from now so I appreciate all the help and information I can gather to make our dream a possibility.

I look forward to being part of this community.

[JPA Cate]

Welcome aboard CF, bushtosea,

You've a fun journey ahead, and I wish you both joy of it.

Ann

[Tillsbury]

My only two pieces of advice would be to sail as much as you can, whether you have a destination or not, and to maintain or repair as much as you can when you can’t or don’t want to sail.

Both will teach you an enormous amount about your boat, and the more you know the more you can learn in the future.

[GrowleyMonster]

You are certainly off to a good start. With the Tanzer you are a little more physically connected to wind, water and boat, than you will be with your new 38'er. Everything will cost a lot more. You probably have an inboard engine that you will praise when it works and you need it, and curse when it doesn't work and you need it, and regret when you have to spend a lot of money on it. Yes, in general, the money pit is broader and deeper with a bigger boat. But your accomodations will be much more comfortable and you will sleep better. You will be able to sail in more blustery conditions without taking such a bad soaking. Your draft might keep you out of places that your small boat could explore.


The bigger boat needs a little more time and distance for maneuvering, so in tight places, plan your turns and your sail and trim changes plenty far ahead. With more mass, you might be more likely to crunch into immovable features than bounce off them. Recovering a crew overboard, or getting your own self back onboard, will be a lot harder with the big boat. Get serious about running jack lines and staying clipped in, especially when sailing solo. You will probably do more anchoring. Check your anchor rode carefully for rust and chafe, and whatever anchor you got, consider upgrading. Especially if you have a windlass.



Learn to reef. Learn to reef before the weather blows up, and also learn to reef after the weather has blown up. Learn to heave to. A very useful skill in a boat over 30'.



There are a jillion traps and pitfalls to going to a larger boat and you are sort of skipping an intermediate stage, going from a 22' to a 38' boat. But overall you will enjoy it more, probably, especially if you are not sailing alone.


Be careful jibing, keep it under control. With an itty bitty boat, worse case you get wet. Well, or conked in the head with the boom. On a bigger boat, sometimes things break. Important things.



It would be good to have some friends along for the first few times you take the bigger boat out, who have plenty of experience in midsize or larger sailboats.

[Frombushtosea]

Thank you guys for the great advice I have been fixing my smaller boat totally redid it all. Learning about marine systems, I was a mechanic for auto and aircraft in a past life so I’m picking up on most of it quick but it’s definitely different beast.

[James S]

Welcome to the forum ....

[dfelsent]

Welcome!
I heartily second the plan ahead bit mentioned above by Growley.
For me going from 14 to 30 to 38 to 46 even though I grew up sailing with my dad (really fortunate me!) in the 11 to 38’ range required mental changes as a skipper.
The biggest difference you may see is that the Tanzer can be muscled. Sheets, halyards, dock lines, anchor. At 38 not so much. The loads can often be larger than a strong man can manage without mechanical advantage.
Don’t hurt yourself thinking you can just heave. I say this from personal experience. 😄

But remember you are doing all this for fun. (Getting hurt isn’t always fun)

And have a blast!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, bushtosea.