Come Sail With Me...

[Condor]

Most everyone here by now knows I collect guns and motorcycles... However a well hidden past time that only a few know about is I also like to sail. It's in my genes.. I own a 28' Sailboat and for the past 25 years own a used marine supply business. Sailing to me is about as close to being in the elements as being on two wheels. Personally I feel they go hand in hand. Anyway I ran across this video that shows some of the exciting parts of the sport. It's kinda long but not dull... Entertaining to say the least...

[saddlebum]

That is amazing. I was so impressed I had to forward it to my son's father in-law and my step granddaughter who are both into sailing in a big way. They have actually been pushing me to get into it.

[tufftom4]

I was a first mate on an 50' Choy Lee and had a 25' Bristol and a 30' Pearson Wanderer that I sailed from Massachusetts to down here in Florida where I find people don't like to sail . I have sailed to a lot of places like Bermuda the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and did the whole Intra coastal waterway.

[RandyR]

I was a first mate on an 50' Choy Lee and had a 25' Bristol and a 30' Pearson Wanderer that I sailed from Massachusetts to down here in Florida where I find people don't like to sail . I have sailed to a lot of places like Bermuda the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and did the whole Intra coastal waterway.

 

If you want to do that again, I'll join your band of pirates... er crew.

 

I had a 15' catamaran for a couple of summers which I mostly sailed on Rehobeth Bay in Delaware, although I did cautiously venture out into the Atlantic within sight of shore a few times. It was great fun until I got the cat wrapped around a bridge piling by a rip tide one afternoon.

[videoarizona]

Count me in as a crew.

I'm a long time sailor....since 14 years old.

Have settled down to owning our little Aquarius 23...about the easiest boat to rig/launch/retrieve and tow. Seriously easy. That's why I can still sail today at 72 years young.

 

 

At Roosevelt Lake..by myself...sailing with friends on a light air day.

[Sailor]

I love sailing. Sailed everything from 8 ft Sabot to 45 ft trimaran and a lot in between. This area, southern gulf islands in British Columbia, is considered one of the most difficult to sail due to the nature of the freaky winds and strong tides. One of the things I realy liked, besides rough weather, was ghosting along at 0300 with not a sound but the ripple of the water and the floressence streaming off the back of the boat like diamonds on black velvet. It was understood that if two sailboats were within sight of each other there was a race. I tell people that comparing a sailboat to a power boat is like comparing a motorcycle to a car. Had to give it up due to my knees.

[Condor]

Count me in as a crew.

I'm a long time sailor....since 14 years old.

Have settled down to owning our little Aquarius 23...about the easiest boat to rig/launch/retrieve and tow. Seriously easy. That's why I can still sail today at 72 years young.

.

 

Those A23's are a great little boats. Not as frequent out here on the Left Coast.. This is Catalina 22 country. I almost bought a C22 when they first came out back in '73. Decked out with everything 'cept battery and curtains...on a trailer...$3,000 out the door. For a while I did own a 22... Chrysler. Another great day sailer. Sold it when I bought the Lancer 27. Can't have two mistresses...

 

Sailing the Sacramento Delta

 

Under the Golden Gate

 

 

Tucked in Bed

[slowrollwv]

Nice boat Jack. BTW is that a flat top in the back ground in the first pic?

[Patch]

The study of marine …. Has been the most challenging I ever engaged in. Also the one I have felt most humbling when discussing it with designers from different regions.

 

When I picked it up again I was convinced that multi hulls were the future! It was the fastest growing segment of design.

Monohulls hadn’t changed in decades. And, physicists were adamant that it was impossible to sail at the speed of wind much less twice or three times….. A Lot has changed;)

 

Lesser known designers from both worlds like Kurt Hughes (kind of a rebel) or Dudley Dix contributions were very much over looked and others too like Ganger, and Gougeon Brothers…

But Dudley really brought the planing hull forward with his own design for personal use achieving speeds of 22 knots in a homebuilt plywood boat;)

 

Personally I fell in love with his 45 AC and asked him for a couple of changes… Long story when the market fell my my plans turned into pennies so it hasn’t been built.

 

Another the sailing community owes much to is Larry Ellison who spent a fortune and then hooked up with Coutt;, the rest is history still in motion.

 

The 98 Sydney Hobart marked a dramatic change in thinking and one very much worth researching both in video and the many papers written up after the investigation!

Sure Condor can share some links and info for those interested.

 

Dudley has 2 books That are also a good read with basics thru to….

http://www.dixdesign.com/index.html

 

The video below is one of my favourites tho quite old now it was crazy exciting back in the day and, sailors then said what if (s) almost every time I’d play it;)

 

Edited March 4, 2020 by Patch

[Condor]

Nice boat Jack. BTW is that a flat top in the back ground in the first pic?

 

Probably Chuck. However I'm not quite sure where we were at the time... There's a few being worked on at the Mare Island Shipyards, or it could have been farther up the Delta near the mothball fleet. I had to pass the mothball when driving down to the bay, and it was quite a display of WWII vessels. Even had a destroyer parked there. Went past it a couple of weeks ago to pick up a boat from a Bay Area auction and there were hardly any left. Probably all Coors cans or Toyota's?? I remember about 15-20 years ago there was a story about a world record tonnage Tug Tow from SF Bay to Japan. If I remember right an ocean going tug towed 3 or 4 'mothballers' across the Pacific at the same time...

[Condor]

Another the sailing community owes much to is Larry Ellison who spent a fortune and then hooked up with Coutt;, the rest is history still in motion.

 

The 98 Sydney Hobart marked a dramatic change in thinking and one very much worth researching both in video and the many papers written up after the investigation!

Sure Condor can share some links and info for those interested

 

When they had the America's Cup here in San Francisco I really liked the venue and the access. The foiling Cat's were awesome. But there's an old school part of me that still likes the 36 meter's and the skill that it took to wring every knot out of them... The 'secret' keel designs shenanigans were a hoot... :-)

 

Speaking of Larry Ellison....

[zagger]

Spent many summers racing Flying Dutchman sailboats and 470 sailboats. Seems like there is some link between sailing and biking. No sailboats these days, just bikes.

zag

[Sailor]

I always said anyone can make a sailboat go when there is wind, the trick is to make it go when there is no wind.

[Condor]

I always said anyone can make a sailboat go when there is wind, the trick is to make it go when there is no wind.

 

Not much of a trick.... I fire up the auxillary... Or... drop the anchor if I'm trying to not loose position to the tide until the wind gods decide I've had enough... :-)

[Sailor]

I would drop anchor if there was bottom to be found, otherwise I would tape an incense stick to the bulkhead and watch which way the smoke drifted. Set the sails and get everyone hanging off the lee rail. The winds here are so fluky I have sailed out of Ganges harbour under spinnaker and passed a boat sailing into the harbour under spinnaker. We both had the wind dead behind us and passed within 30 feet of each other.

[Condor]

I would drop anchor if there was bottom to be found, otherwise I would tape an incense stick to the bulkhead and watch which way the smoke drifted. Set the sails and get everyone hanging off the lee rail. The winds here are so fluky I have sailed out of Ganges harbour under spinnaker and passed a boat sailing into the harbour under spinnaker. We both had the wind dead behind us and passed within 30 feet of each other.

A piece of cassette tape will work as well... But with incense you could have a seance... :-)

[RandyR]

A piece of cassette tape will work as well... But with incense you could have a seance... :-)

 

I thought that was why so many sea dogs smoked pipes?

[Sailor]

Yep. Hold hands and pray for a wind. If that doesn't work whistle up a wind.