Hello everyone,

I have found myself out on the water with friends several times in my life, and I love the water. But over the past few years I have really looked into learning to sail and getting a boat of my own.

I am hopeing that some of you out here in FL or in the gulf or atlantic side will have some help for me.

I am looking for someone who needs an extra hand on the boat or just some company, and who will teach me the ropes of the boat (HA! no pun intended on that one).

So anyone out there who has the time to help me out, even if online through emails and IMs, I would appreciate all the help I can get.

Trinity
asktrin@yahoo.com (messenger up and running as well)

You have come to the right place for help. You can get a decent catamaran for under 1500 that will just fly. I am sure there is someone in your area that is willing to give you a ride.

Trinity:

See I told you you would get better response here. Check out the races schedules here and see if some are close to you? http://www.catsailor.com/cs_schedules.html That way you can see a lot of different boats and get some contacts for going out on. There should also be info there on the big cat races as you are looking for 30-41 footer for you.

Doug

There are no ropes on a boat. They are lines or sheets.

Mug Cup is next weekend. Polatka to Jacksonville.

you are so right cyber.. my first mix up... thanks! I am still in Vegas right now but will be back in the SE in about a month.. and yes Douglas, thanks, I love it here

Don't get Robi started again!!!

Robi's pet peeve

'Anchor rope' <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The only rope is the one on the bell, or bucket...I forget.

Check out EMSA-sailing.org it is another good site with regattas posted in the SE. I just started sailing a little over a year and just started by voluteering to crew. I have been learning a lot and loving it.
Oh one thing to go with sheets and lines, don't call them "Pontoons" they are "hulls"---Made that mistake once!

I know I am going to regret this but before I started sailing I thought that sheets were the sails. I did learn that the sheets are control lines. When new to sailing you have to learn a new language.

Bolt Rope

That is understandable, because originally the sails were the "sheets." The term "three sheets to the wind" refers to sails, not to control lines.

The terms "trim the sheet," or "sheet in," "sheet out," used to refer to trimming the shape of the sail, but over lots of time, somehow the word "sheet" got transferred to the actual line that did the "sheeting."

And maybe they stopped using sheets for sails. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I dunno, I've seen some knarly lookin sails.

Thanks for the new website I will check it out, I am sure over this summer if I make myself available I can find myself on a boat constantly.. at least.. thats my hopes

I missed the re-naming of this thread....

...I always thought the First Rule was -- "it's always the crews fault!"

Umm, not to contradict such a respected source, but are you sure? As I understand it, the sails used to be called "yards" or "yardage", from whence come the phrases "not until the sun's over the yardarm" and "the whole nine yards". I always understood that "three sheets to the wind" meant one was too drunk even to realize that all (three) sails were sheeted in on the windward (wrong) side. In that sense, "sheet" still refers to the control line, not the sail.

Of course, if I'm wrong, please correct me. I'd like my nautical trivia to be accurate.

Regards,
Eric

Hi Trinity:

There really isn't any substitute for on the water experience. So, be sure you have checked all your local resources. There must be a sailing group in your area that offers adult instruction at a reasonable price.

As a last resort, buy a Sunfish and just have at it! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I thought the "Whole Nine Yards" was a reference to WWII fighter pilots whose planes were loaded with 27 feet (nine yards) of belt-fed machine gun ammunition.

Giving someone "the whole nine yards" meant using the entire ammunition on one target (wasteful and dangerous, but usually will bring something down without question)