First Season - some lessons Ive learnt!

[Miquel]

[quote="Dimitri-2000X-Tampa"]Miquel, 2 sets of twins?

No, just second mariage. I had 2 (boy & girl), and she the same. And the differences are really tight: 4 days for the girls, 3 months for the boys. And 3 of them love sailing: one of the boys love motors. So again, Mac is a right choice!!!

[RHC]

Charlie,
Thanks for the input. It's useful for newbies like me who are still testing where the limits are for the boat. Got my 1997 26X a yr ago. been out only half dozen times.

Still doing some stupid things like I just noticed the warning about CB & rudders need to be up when running over 6mph. So I did for 1st time last wk end and at 10mph I felt uncomfortable at how there was so much more slippage sideways (made sense after thinking about it).

I'm in Half Moon Bay, CA. Waters tend to be big and very cold. Usual swell 6-8 ft. 3-4ft on a calm day. MOB practice would be uncomfortable in cold water. I might try w/ 150lb dummy.
Cheers,

[mtc]

Still doing some stupid things . . .

Aren't we all? No matter how much we learn, there's more to come. That's the beauty of sailing - you always learn and hopefully will survive the lesson.

My latest was pulling the boat down a finger pier with the bow line, walking backwards, and actually walking right off the end of the pier.

Idiot. Could have got hurt, but didn't. Just laughed at my stupidity and tankful I wasn't bleeding profusely.

[RHC]

mtc,

"walking right off the end of the pier."

sorry but i have to admit i was lol on this one. must have been a treat for the observers. good thing water is warmer in your part of the country.

what i didn't mention was getting my rudders torn up by the propeller last yr. grounded them (loosened the tie down-unbneknownst to me). as i make a sharp turn to head for deeper water, rudders hit propeller.

finally got that fixed early this season, then while on trailer, i drove the mast against a tree branch in the marina pkg lot. now i am still working on getting a new forestay. in the meantime i am getting familiar w/ motoring, crabbing and fishing.

fair winds to all,

[mtc]

mtc,

"walking right off the end of the pier."

sorry but i have to admit i was lol on this one. must have been a treat for the observers. good thing water is warmer in your part of the country.

oh - don't you know it! I was laughing myself, but it was simply too outrageous to take seriously.

one time (in band camp) i was racing on a beam reach on a Catalina with a Pearson about a boat length on our starboard. The skipper, Bill, took a pail and attempted to get some seawater (at 7 kts) and was yanked off the deck like he was 10 lbs. he was ok, but we all just laughed horribly.

speaking of the COB (IOB idiot over board) (IOP idiot off pier), we both broke stride to pick him up.

you're right - in SF bay, it could be deadly.

but, this time it was in 80 degree water.

it's amazing that we're on the top of the food chain.

[Catigale]

That is a funny picture indeed - closest I came to seeing this is when my Dad 'helps' the Admiral back Catigale down the ramp by barking out orders at Decibel level 10 so that the whole marina is watching of course...Admiral is getting PO'd at being on display, Im getting PO'd because Ive talked her into learning how to launch and back up and Dad isnt helping...as he is barking out orders every 2 seconds he catches a dock cleat and goes down HARD and half falls in...everyone runs to help him, and meanwhile the Admiral smoothly delivers the boat down the ramp - no thanks needed.