Sailboat thread

[begreen]

A rainy weekend, here. I’d be up for sailing in it, you get wet anyway, but no way my wife would let me take the kid out in stormy weather. So, it’s chores around the house, today.

We went out of Rockport, ME one day on my assistant's daddy's 42' Irwin with an untrained crew. As soon as we left the harbor it got very rough due to a storm out on the Atlantic. That was negative fun. Folks were scared and puking and only 2 people knew how to sail. We had to turn around and head back after 30 minutes of hobbyhorsing over some tall swells. Too bad. On another evening we went out for a long sail north and came back in the dark. It was magical, especially when the northern lights decided to add a light show. I felt like they were pushing us along with the wind.

 

[begreen]

If anyone is looking, the founder of Hearth.com has his sailboat up for sale.

 

[firefighterjake]

Only if they shut the motor off! Some of those “sailboat” tours put up a sail for show, but keep moving along under motor power.

I went on a real nice one in Newport, a big two-masted schooner. It was a day with great steady wind, over 20 knots. When they threw up the sails the boat healed over hard, and I thought, “great, here we go!” But it was a little too frightening for the old ladies aboard, so they hauled the sails back down as quickly as they had put them up. Bummer.

A rainy weekend, here. I’d be up for sailing in it, you get wet anyway, but no way my wife would let me take the kid out in stormy weather. So, it’s chores around the house, today.

They ran the engine until they were halfway or so out of the bay and then shut down the engine . . . or at least it didn't sound or feel as if it was on any more. It was much nicer with the engine off.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Ok @Ashful, but only because you asked! My first experience sailing was on a 420 about 35 years ago and I loved it. The serenity of sailing is something a lot of people just don't get. I was hooked. A few years later I crewed for a race boat for a season but it wasn't until about 8 years ago that I would finally own my first boat - an Alberg Seasprite 23 that still has a fond place in my heart. A friend of mine now owns her and I still get to sail her regularly. Check her out here when I was out for a fall sail.


My current ride is the big sister to the Seasprite, an Alberg 30.




This is Rumba hard against the wind on a fine summer's day...

 

[AlbergSteve]

And when you return from a cold, wet, "miserable" day on the water in January, you can always find something like this in ship's stores on Rumba...

 

[Ashful]

Nice, Steve! I’m impressed. Your boat is exactly what my wife had in mind, when she told me to go buy a boat, not tippy racing dinghies.

You need more vang, your sail is spilling. [emoji14]

 

[AlbergSteve]

Nice, Steve! I’m impressed. Your boat is exactly what my wife had in mind, when she told me to go buy a boat, not tippy racing dinghies.

You need more vang, your sail is spilling. [emoji14]

Thanks, I should pay more attention to trim ! We're lucky here in the PNW the have some of the best cruising grounds in the world, thousands of islands, nooks and crannies, and sailing every day of the year. We usually try to get out on Christmas day for a sail or Christmas eve for an overnight. Here's a Christmas day sail - check out the snow starting to build up on the main.

 

[begreen]

Christmas sailing is hard core Steve, but I like how you finish up the day.

 

[Ashful]

I have some plans to do some winter racing with the Zest, this year. Wet boat sailing at 30F... hope I don’t capsize!

 

[AlbergSteve]

I have some plans to do some winter racing with the Zest, this year. Wet boat sailing at 30F... hope I don’t capsize!

...hope you have a wetsuit!

 

[AlbergSteve]

Yup. It's a hole in the water you pour money into. That said, sailing is wonderful. I wouldn't say no for a chance to crew and get out. Unfortunately this has gotten rare in the past several years.

Well, if you're ever in Cowichan Bay...

 

[Ashful]

...hope you have a wetsuit!

Nope, but I'll be shopping for one. I normally sail late March thru Halloween, and just wear foul weather gear on the Thistle. Your ass gets splashed while hiking, but I normally stay dry, other than that. This will be my first time in an open-transom single-handed dinghy in cold water.

 

[begreen]

Well, if you're ever in Cowichan Bay...

I'd love to get up there for a visit. It's a beautiful area.

 

[Ashful]

Beautiful day for sailing today. It was overcast, rolling clouds that looked like a storm could kick up at any moment (though none were forecast), 73F, and a very steady wind. Our closest weather indicator (inland) was showing a pretty steady 7 - 8 MPH, I'd guess it was a pretty steady 10 MPH on the water. This was perfect for taking my son out on a lively little dinghy, just enough to make it fun, without being too distressing. Hit one shifty area far down the lake, where two wind systems were converging, and we were on a run, so I just headed up to avoid any auto-jibes. Had some real fun beating and pointing.

I can't get this boat to point real well, and I know I've been spoiled by the Thistle, which is a pointing machine if there ever was one. Any time I get this sail truly close-hauled, it seems to stall, sailing by the luff tell-tails (upper and lower). I'll have to figure that out, but again... I think my faster boat just has me spoiled for sailing anything tame.

Time for a Manhattan. I'm trying Bulleit rye for a change, my local store was out of Woodford. Still got the Carpano Antica Formula dal 1786 Vermouth and Luxardos... a good day.

 

[AlbergSteve]

I'd love to get up there for a visit. It's a beautiful area.

Moved to the Island from Nova Scotia in the early 90's, not going back! Don't get me wrong, NS is beautiful as well. But as a friend of mine always says when I'm looking at cheap real estate out east, "winter is included in the price"!

 

[begreen]

Yes, my heart is in the Berkshires back east, but I'll pass on the winters.

 

[Ashful]

Yes, my heart is in the Berkshires back east, but I'll pass on the winters.

Hey... I thought you were wood stove guys. I love playing in the winter snow almost as much as I love sailing. I could pass on our frequent ice storms, tho.

 

[AlbergSteve]

Hey... I thought you were wood stove guys. I love playing in the winter snow almost as much as I love sailing. I could pass on our frequent ice storms, tho.

Out here we get to burn and sail all winter long.