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Welcome to the windward part of wardadventures!!!
As a child I remember sailing somewhere around the DC area, be it the Potomac
River or the Chesapeake Bay, honestly I cannot remember. It was only once, yet
I remember vividly sitting on the bow, legs dangling, watching the boat cut
through the water, as well standing clutching to the standing rigging as the
boat tossed gleefully around!!! This the humble beginning, many years ago, has
brought me to a joyful relationship with the water and sailing!!! I still kayak
and canoe and always will, for again the water is a tremendous experience. the
more ways to get wet (or stay dry for that matter) the better!!!
The second time I was on water was the time the word respect came into the equation.
I was 12 years old, and we were in Key West, the home of my Grandparents Dot
and Joe on my dad's side, down visiting for their 50th wedding anniversary.
A great time we all had. My cousin Paul took my brother and I out on a Hobie
Cat (possibly a 16 footer) and zoom off we went, but without good trim,
the bow of one of the hulls dove in and snap...INSTANTLY we were capsized!!!
Now the waters of Key West are quite warm in January compared to that of the
Potomac River or the Chesapeake Bay, but 70 degrees is a lot lower than 98.6
degrees!!! As we capsized I remained out of the water with a instinctual move
that had me hanging by the upper hull. My cousin told me not to ever do this
so upon his command I jumped in the water. Counting time i wasn't, but indeed
we were in the water long enough that yours truly was bone cold and not just
shivering but almost convulsing due to hypothermia. Thankfully the folks from
the rental beach came to our rescue, righted the boat and zoomed me back to
shore where my brother and I ran home to get warm, I hopping in a hot shower.
That said...despite running to the house and standing in a hot shower for quite
some time...I was still cold to the bone. So RESPECT indeed of the water I hold,
not fear, but indeed respect. This I consider a great adventure and a great
lesson in boating. i truly know the importance of "trim" and of the
seriousness of hypothermia!!!
yeeha!!! Thank you cousin Paul for taking us out!!! Yeeha!!!
The first time at the tiller was in New Jersey with a gentleman that I honestly
had a mad crush on!!! He had a Prindle
16 (the reason I own one today-fast fun and very responsive!!!) and had
invited me up to go sailing which I jumped jumped jumped at the chance!!! We
stepped the mast and got to it!!! What fun!!! Up on one hull and flying!!! Working
the jib, the mainsheet, learning the wind.......yowza yowza yowza!!! And though
our weekend adventure together was plutonic, we had a blast and I walked away
a sailing fool!!! THANK YOU PAUL!!!
Sometime around 1995 or 1996 my father gave me a Zuma
13. This boat was quite a nice boat, similar to the Lazer but without having
a racing class. My maiden voyage is quite hilarious as it goes, particularly
if you know the marina and its players. It was at Belle Haven Marina, an excellent,
friendly, fun marina, and as I set off from their boat launch at the south side
of the marina, the wind took me into another boat...BOOM!!! Not a treacherous
hit, and certainly without damage to either vessel, but enough to freak me out,
so I walked it out a bit further to have the wind quickly push me into the mud
on the other shore!!! Ok so now I was going to nab this, take the bull by the
horns, and phew, I did. All this was witnessed by Chip, a man and friend I hold
in the highest regards for his fun, peaceful, caring, creative and knowledgeable
character. I sailed for quite a while down the Potomac River and returned quite
late, almost dark dark. As I sailed in toward the dock, Chip laughed saying
he didn't know if I was actually going to make it back!!! Cool cat, and for
the way I had navigated out of the marina it's a wonder the Zuma hadn't ended
up sitting on the bottom of the Potomac and yours truly swimming back to shore!!!
Thank you Dad and Elizabeth!!!
Time passes and I get a hankering to sail again........Craigslist.org here I
come!!! I find a Prindle 16, that super fun, fast, responsive boat that reminded
me of an super fun weekend learning to sail, and is a very well repected boat
indeed!!! I paid very little for it, with a damaged rudder, and to be honest,
due to the damaged rudder and the requirement to step the mast each time you
sail (a two person endeavor unless you rig a winch on the trailer), I have not
sailed this vessel to date.
Next, I do a little research for a boat that one person can step the mast, that
is small and light enough to enable single handed cartopability (my Zuma was
125lbs which was too much for me to lift by myself) and found the Minifish!!!
The Minifish is a
75lb hull miniature of the ever popular Sunfish!!! What a blessing! I found
one in Dayton, Ohio and off I went!!! Winter, snow storm, VW Convertible without
heat, wrapped in a sleeping bag..........that is how bad I wanted to sail again!!!
So an adventurous trip to Ohio which lead to more adventure indeed!!! My Minifish's
maiden voyage was just a few days following my return from Ohio, out of Belle
Haven Marina, and on the 15th of December, 2008...my Grandmother Rose's birthday!!!
What a powerful moment! What fun on my Grandmother Rose's birthday!!! The feeling
of sailing and knowing that I could go ANYTIME that I wanted, for I didn't need
anyone to help me step the mast, no one to help me cartop it, was truly a grand
feeling!!! Yeeha!!!
To add to my time on the water sailing, I have to introduce one of my best friends,
Cecilie!!! We first sailed together on her Catalina
25 in 2008!!! What fun indeed! The many times we have sailed up and down,
across and back on the Potomac from Belle haven Marina, I couldn't count...but
I can tell you they all have been loads of fun!!! A great experience indeed!
She traded up to a Pacific Seacrest
24, which is oh so fine a vessel!!! And on this sailboat, the PS24, we have
spent a lot of time and had indeed much fun!!! THANK YOU CECILIE...for everything!!!
And now........the gloriously trepidus moment...the purchase of a 1979
S2 8.0c!!! This is a lesser known and harder to find 26 foot, center cockpit,
aft cabin, cruiser/racer, fin keeled sailboat!!! Quite unique I am told, for
according to a gentleman (a broker in the industry) that was standing literally
in line behind me to purchase this boat, the S2 8.0c is one of only 2 small
aft cabin sailing vessels out there, and the only one of good design per this
gent !!! Originally I had wanted a tiller and a proper dinette arrangement,
but I gotta tell you the layout of this S2 is super sweet and roomy down below
(like a kid's fort with adult appointments) and the visiblity from the cockpit
is grand!!! Due to her freeboard she catches a little wind, but she sails ever
so sweet and comfy!!! THANK YOU MICHAEL for offering it for sale!!! Long live
VW's!!!
oddly enough they say two things (probably more) about sailboats and their owners.........1)
the two happiest days in the life of a sailboat owner are the day they purchase
and conversely the day they sell their boat!!! ...and 2) like FORD means "Fix
Or Repair Daily"...BOAT means "Break Off Another Thousand"!!!
We shall see. I look forward to many a fine day on the water and am sure given
my past in the outdoors and weather, that I will enjoy many a rainy day on the
water as well!!! Thank you to all the folks...my Mom, family, friends and acquaintances...that
have aided me in this journey!!! Please come along for a sail!!!
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