Introductions / How did you find sailFar.net?

[s/v Faith]

Hi Folks,

Just a quick note of introduction - I'm a 44 yr old complete newbie who manifested 20+ years of dreaming last Augiust when my wife and companion in adventure insisted I pull the trigger on a near-bristol Annapolis 26 at a too-good-to-pass-up bargain, tactfully pointing out that I never do anything for myself, I'm not getting any younger and I can't keep reading and dreaming forever.

What an amazing reason to find a boat, and to find this place!  Life is short, and in my journey I have come to realize that there is a moral imperative to seek happiness....  Cheers to you, and to your companion for the decision to make this step!  Fairest of fair winds to you both!!!!

We only had her out a few times before running out of season and I am still discerning my ass from my elbow, but from all accounts so far we find this craft  to be a perfect (and even luxurious) size for a couple interested in simple, uncomplicated cruising - we spent many years as canoe campers and feel spoiled at having a bed that's always made, a toilet that flushes and room to carry a beer cooler.

It is only in my off-season internet prowling that I discovered how few people share our enthusiasm for what we considered ideal.  Enthusiast groups seem to focus on either very small or very large boats, largely ignoring the masses in between.  I was therefore grateful to find SailFar with some dilligent Googling and look forward to learning more about sailing and my boat while dreaming about distant horizons in the future.

True.  Few are the number, and more then a few lunatics in the bunch... But a finer group I have never encountered.  Welcome aboard!

I currently moor and sail in the Eastern end of Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte - largely considered one of the best freshwater cruising areas in the world.  I will enjoy participating in this board while counting the days until my put-in date in May.

Welcome aboard!  Gad you found us, here is your first grog on me. :)

[DarrenC]

Hello!

I appreciate the welcome and the grog - allow me to return the favour!

Cheers!

Darren

[Cyric30]

Greetings, One and all.
I found SailFar via link in a larger sailing forum, but i think i prefer the smaller forums, its easier to deal with and you get to know folks better.

A bit about me. 42M, Single, no kids, no dept, few bills.  im land locked in AR. and have never sailed a day in my life, in fact im about as far away from any kind of watery background as you can get as i have farmed most of my life. but im not adverse to learning new things.

You may ask your-self what brings me here? Freedom, the freedom to GO mainly! one thing you dont have on a farm is the freedom to just leave for very long and im looking for that. if i want to pick up and go anywhere, it seems with a well equipped boat most of the world is within reach.

Ive been looking about Sailing for a year or 2 now, and i figure when my obligations or done here within the next few years i can get alot more serious about things, but its nice to have a plan in place to begin with when you do get serious about things, so i'll lurk the forums, ask a few questions and keep the hope of freedom alive.

P.S im from Arkansas, Grammer is optional, just so where clear on that.  ;D

[s/v Faith]

Greetings, One and all.
I found SailFar via link in a larger sailing forum, but i think i prefer the smaller forums, its easier to deal with and you get to know folks better.

A bit about me. 42M, Single, no kids, no dept, few bills.  im land locked in AR. and have never sailed a day in my life, in fact im about as far away from any kind of watery background as you can get as i have farmed most of my life. but im not adverse to learning new things.

You may ask your-self what brings me here? Freedom, the freedom to GO mainly! one thing you dont have on a farm is the freedom to just leave for very long and im looking for that. if i want to pick up and go anywhere, it seems with a well equipped boat most of the world is within reach.

Ive been looking about Sailing for a year or 2 now, and i figure when my obligations or done here within the next few years i can get alot more serious about things, but its nice to have a plan in place to begin with when you do get serious about things, so i'll lurk the forums, ask a few questions and keep the hope of freedom alive.

P.S im from Arkansas, Grammer is optional, just so where clear on that.  ;D

Welcome aboard!

  You will fit right in here.  Grammar, spelling, and punctuation are conventions imposed upon those of limited creativity!  Or so I often rationalize my childish errors....

Enjoy!

[jotruk]

Welcome aboard. I think you will find that this board will give you a lot on info, just don't be afraid to ask.
.

[Cyric30]

Thank you for the welcome guys

[Leemolou]

Stumbled upon it few years back but never registered until invited by member


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Leemolou]

Intro : Male in his forties, living in Ontario, Canada, francophone ( will use this to explain spelling, grammar and idiom misuse  ;))

Big news today... I am no longer boatless... I just brought back a Drascombe Longboat home... I will post pictures later for the time being she has no mast/sail on and I will not post pictures of her topless like this ( oh wait, the French in me is saying that I should  ;D )

My first sailboat.
This was a good day!  :)

[Tim]

Congrats, those are great little boats.  8)

[CharlieJ]

Welcome to SailFar.

[Leemolou]

I tried posting a pic... No joy...  :( (from reading some other posts I can tell I am not the only one experiencing difficulties) I am using an iPad, can't seem to make it work... Oh well.

Here she is in her former home.
http://sailingtexas.com/201401/sdrascombelongboat106.html

[hopefulsailor]

I stumbled across the site while searching for small boats.
A little about me. I am a refrigeration technician in land locked Indiana, before that I was in the military as an Infantrymen. I am 32 never married, no kids, no attachments that I can think of. I only have seen the ocean twice in my life, once from 30,000 ft in the air and once in Mexico. I never been on a sail boat, don't know how to sail a boat, but yet I am getting ready to buy one. I am thinking a Cape Dory 25D. I'm sure I'll have a lot of questions for you guys and I hope to become a sailor myself.       

[Captain Smollett]

Welcome aboard sailfar, Matt.  Ask away anything and everything.  I think you will find quite a userbase of knowledge on the CD 25D here.  Several of our members have (or have had) that boat.

[Pelagic]

Ahoy!
New here. Found Sail Far while researching composting toilets on board. So yes, poop brought me here! Nonetheless, you guys are doing exactly what i want to do. I had planned all along to go cruising in a much larger boat but somewhere i set a time line and said if i dont have a bigger boat by said time i will go with what i have. i have been a yacht broker, ASA instructor, and delivery captain here in Kemah, Texas for the last 4 years and lived aboard some. Planning on leaving soon and hope to learn a lot from you guys. Thanks in advance!

[Captain Smollett]

Welcome aboard, Pelagic.  Cool to have another "go now with what you have" voice to add to the mix.

[CharlieJ]

Welcome aboard Pelagic
Our sailing areas somewhat over lap. I'm down in Matagorda Bay. Was in Rockport yesterday

[Pelagic]

Hey Thanks Charlie,
I used to go thru Matagorda Bay pretty often when i was doing more deliveries. Rockport is an awesome area to cruise. I grew up there!

[JerryW]

There was a thread on "Sailnet.com" about sailing around the world on a Catalina 22 and, in one of the messages a poster provided a link to sailFar.  For all the lurking I've done on various sailing forums, I was quite surprised to find sailFar, which appeals to my interest in small boats.

Built a Bolger "Nymph" in 1994 - that's a 7'9" cat-boat made out of two sheets of plywood, using a sprit rig.  Taught myself how to sail with a sheet of Xeroxed instructions in one hand and the tiller in the other.  Did EVERYTHING you can do in a sail-boat in the first 90 minutes - that included a capsize where I watched my rudder float away (Note to Jerry:  Tie line to rudder.)

Retired in 2010 - in 2008, I signed a contract to purchase a Montgomery M-23 Offshore Cutter.  That was a miserable buying experience which went on for 3+ years.  If anybody wants to know the details - I'd be happy to tell my story in a private e-mail.  Took delivery of the boat in late 2011 even though it was not quite completed.  Got it in the water in Oct 2012 and have been sailing happily ever since. 

Having only previously sailed an 8" dinghy, I had a rather steep learning curve, but I found that the skills in the dinghy translated quite nicely to a 23' boat.  I rarely fly all three sails - too many strings to play with as I mostly sail solo.  So I usually sail with a 100% jib and main.  I've found the little inner stay-sail to be a superb storm sail.  With double-reefed main and stay-sail, we've sailed in 28 - 30 knot winds.  In winds a little over 20 knots, the stay-sail with a single reefed main is a very nice combo.  In almost all sail configurations, "Robin's Nest" (wife's name is Robin) will sail close-hauled with the tiller lashed down.

Biggest sail to date was a 6-day solo trip up the Potomac to Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home) where I made a U-turn and headed home.  The trip was an absolute delight and I can't wait to replicate it this fall, when the cooler weather arrives.  Lottsa history along the way.  Read "This was Potomac River" by Tilp every night!

There was a live-fire test going on a Dahlgreen when I passed under the 301 bridge.  The range safety boat hailed me and said "we'll give you information for your plotter...".  I came back and said, I got a chart, compass, and binoculars - tell me where you want me....".  I do carry a GPS, but it's one I use for hiking and use it only to establish lat/long and boat speed.

On a friends 34' O'day, we're planning on a DelMarVa circumnavigation this fall.  I'd like to do that in my M-23, inspired by the book "Western Wind, Eastern Shore" by Robert De Gast.  I also read his book "Five Fair Rivers" which was (in part) my inspiration to sail up the Potomac. 

Truth is, I'd REALLY like to see if I could make it up to Mt. Vernon and back in my 8' "Nymph"!  A fellow just completed the Everglades Challenge in CLC kit 8-footer. 

Age 69
a zillion interests including ham radio, astronomy, hiking, picking mushrooms, bicycling, photography (both digital and traditional "wet" darkroom), etc. 

Just back from a vacation in Scotland where our kick-off destination was the Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival.  See:
http://www.stbfportsoy.com/
All the old boats were sporting dipping lugs - that's interesting!

Jerry
M-23 Cutter
Port Kinsale, VA

[Travelnik]

Welcome aboard Jerry.

I read the Catalina 22 thread too. It's really a shame that people can't be a bit more supportive in those posts. I wouldn't recommend a C-22 for a global circumnavigation, but most of those comments usually get pretty nasty!

They could have nicely suggested that the poster take his C-22 around the Great Loop, but they would rather tear someone apart.

Anyway, good to see you here. This is a much friendlier place for small boaters!

[Frank]

welcome aboard Jerry. I did the "B E 2 step" as well in 2007. A lesson in lies and frustration. Anyhoot..."happy thoughts"...you're here and sharing sailing stories...GREAT! Don't forget to post a few pictures.