Got to sail for the first time ever yesterday (a bit long)

[Matt300ZXT]

I've been reading, watching videos, researching, etc for about the past month now since I'd like to get a sailboat and give it a shot, and yesterday I was finally able to meet up with a guy who offered to show me the ropes and try it out.

I had found a sailing/boating group in Maine on FB and asked if anyone near me gave lessons (everything I found was usually about 2 hours away) so I could pay some money and have a flexible schedule to meet up and see what they could show me for a few afternoons here and there, or if anyone knew of a school that I could attend. None of the schools they suggested or that I found had any sort of flexible scheduling that works with a typical adult's free time, let alone mine, and I couldn't find anyone that was a member of a yacht club or anything that'd be willing to learn me a thing or two, but one guy spoke up and said he'd be happy to teach me, as long as I didn't mind driving a little ways up into Canada. So after about a week of my free time coming up, I rented a car and drove up into Canada...which was cool, since I've never left the USA.

Anyways, it was a little small 25 footer that didn't have much room down below for much more than some storage or sitting down, but it floated and had sails on it. He couldn't get the outboard to start, since it was likely hydrolocked with fuel so we just paddled out of the wharf into the bay of the Atlantic ocean in the Bay of Fundy and he showed me how to unfurl the jib and get a little speed going and let me take the rudder to get a feel for it. The wind wasn't crazy yesterday, it was pretty calm so it was a good time to learn. He was explaining how the wind catches the sail and moves it along, showed me the little red and green strings attached to the jib and what those were for, and then we unpacked the main, hooked it up, and we hoisted it up too. He mostly worked the sails while I steered and would explain things and we just chatted it up, having a good ol' time. Then we switched out and I would mess with swinging the jib to either the port or starboard, depending on what was needed. I didn't mess much with the main sail or the boom but he was showing me how to swing it from side to side, depending on what was needed and catch the wind.

The mechanical aspect of the jib on the roller furler was easy to understand. Pull the line out to unroll it and then tie it off to a cleat, and then pull on either the port or starboard sheet to pull the jib taught, as much as we needed, and then lock it in the cam cleat. And if needed, dump that sheet and do the same thing on the other side. I feel I understand that, so maybe next time I'll work more on the main sail and the boom line and maybe start to grasp the mechanics of that.

While it was a LOT to take in on my first go, it made just enough sense that it was good building blocks, so next time I go out it'll make just a little bit more sense, and then a little bit more sense the next time. Honestly, it seemed a wee bit intuitive to me, I just thought of adjusting the sail as either hitting the gas in the car or hitting the brakes and then he'd help me out if I was stuck and couldn't remember what to do.

Also, a bit of a shock to me, with the Bay of Fundy being anywhere from 400-700 feet deep where we were, I wasn't the least bit intimidated that the bottom was so far below us (and yes, I know, oceans get much much deeper than that). It didn't scare me or intimidate me when the sails caught some wind and the boat would heel pretty far (usually to port). I just rode it out and would try and work with what I knew to get us going straight again.

I had a blast and told him, dead honest, that that was probably the coolest thing I had ever done. It was so ridiculously relaxing and freeing to just be out on the water, pointing where you want to go and conquering an environment mankind wasn't designed for. Now, if we had hit a storm, or some high winds, I may have been singing a different tune

[Tin Tin]

Good on you, nice story.

[OldManMirage]

Everyone has to start somewhere.

My wife and I bought a Skipper's Mate 17 in 1988. I had read a lot about sailing but never actually had. We learned as we went along. We figured it out.

Next year I'm going to the Bahamas for the first time. I know a lot about sailing now, but nothing about cruising in the Bahamas.

But I'll figure it out as I go along.

[Fore and Aft]

Mat300zxt sailings addictive once you get the bug.
25 feet is a good size to learn on and easily handled as you found out.
Have you watched that mad Frenchman Yann that's about to start his second circumnavigation on his 13 foot yacht.
Cheers

[paul.devalier]

Bravo. Looking forward to the next.

[leboyd]

Sounds like a wonderful first day. Have a great time as you continue to learn.

[Matt300ZXT]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

Mat300zxt sailings addictive once you get the bug.
25 feet is a good size to learn on and easily handled as you found out.
Have you watched that mad Frenchman Yann that's about to start his second circumnavigation on his 13 foot yacht.
Cheers

I haven't heard of him, but I'll check him out. 13 footer eh? So he's basically risking life and limb in a bathtub with a towel hoisted to catch wind? lol

[Don C L]

Uh Oh! Now yer hooked! I see a little boat in your future, on a blustery day, heeled over, and you tweaking every last tenth of a knot out of her and yelling at other boats to get out of your way! Congratulations!

[rbrazil]

Thanks for sharing your story! It takes a lot to put pen to paper and spin a yarn. Well written. It’s an amazing feeling the first time you ply the waters with nothing but wind power. I hope you never forget that moment. Good choice going out in a small boat. It’s a much better way to “feel” the wind. Congratulations!
Now go buy one.