It's surprising to me that most glaring mistakes have to do with people rigging their boat without respect to wind direction. For people about to engage in harnessing wind power, that seems unbelievable. I guess we are not born with "wind sense", that ability to know where an invisible force is. When I was a rookie I used to wonder what people meant when they said, "When you see a puff coming, you should ..." See a puff? That seemed so impossible then. Now it seems so obvious. Perhaps good judgement comes from painful experiences. I call that adventure.

Like they say "life's a journey not a destination." How boring would it be if we knew it all from the start.

However I only say this because I have never done anything stupid. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That'll get'em talking. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Speaking for myself, I think one of the things that so fascinates me about sailing is that it constantly challenges me. I have never stopped learning, and as long as I am still sailing, never will.
Granted the learning curve is not nearly as steep as it used to be. One thing I started doing about five years ago is keeping a note page that I add to after each regatta. The "big " lessons are mostly behind me now, it is the "little things" that are easily forgotten from one year to the next that I learn and write down. I review my pages of "hen scratching" before each regatta to refresh my memory.
I re-read "Welcome to A-Fleet", and Rick White's "Catamaran Sailing for the 90's" each year, and I try to read at least one new book on Tactics and "Strategery" <Grin> each year.
I attend any seminar that might be availabe. Also, I try and attend any protest hearing that will let me either participate (hopefully as a judge, not a protestor or protestee) or observe, in an attempt to gain a more complete understanding of the rules. Also, reading and participating in forums such as this one is a great source of wisdom.
Sailing is kinda like the game of Chess, no matter how good you may get there is always someone better that can teach you something.

Dats whut I tink.

Stephen
H-18

Other mistakes I´ve made:
- Cutting two jib sheets
- Setting up the mainsheet the obvious way, instead of like this (sort of):

I predict Obama will win the Democratic nomination. In the general election he will lead in the polls but lose to John McCain because the Republicans will do a better job of rigging the election.

Noticed a bumper sticker yesterday that I thought was kinda funny... "I'd STILL rather be hunting with DICK CHENEY than driving with TED KENNEDY"

I know it is an election year, and failings and foibles of our elected representatives are at the front of many of our minds. I have my own thoughts that I have been tempted to share,
However, this is one of the very few places I feel like I can go to get away from news of Brittany Spears and political "commentary" ( that was the politest word I could come up with)
Whenever possible, lets please try and avoid bringing USA Politics into THIS forum.

Stephen

My first time out, 1982, Virginia Key, ocean side. I just bought my first cat, H-18, and had never sailed a boat before in my life. There were several cats on the beach, none were putting up sails. The wind (in retrospect) was 20 plus. I proceeded to set up the boat and hoisted sails. While hoisting the jib, it ripped from the flogging. A little duct tape later I was sailing east at 15 plus, never having sailed I had neve tacked or jibed, and was heading to Havana. Soon, I was in the shipping lanes and almost out of sight of land where we decided to turn back. We noticed that the lee shroud was hanging free just as we turned to tack.
The mast came down.
The rescue.... A friend of mine, George Griffin, just happened to see us out there. He was the owner of a Nacra 5.2 and a solo sailor. He saw us in the water and sailed by us and threw us his jib sheet with his #4 float attached, I swam out to it and grabbed it as he flew by. I got stretched as I slowed the boat down and fought to get back to my boat. We finally made it back to my boat and George toed us back. The Coast Guard Chopper came by and put an eye on us, we gave them a thumbs up and waved them off as the 5.2 towed us back to the beach.

My first time out, no clew about wind or weather....

So a Nacra had to save a Hobie..... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

should'nt admit it ...but
went to stoney creek lake here in Michigan with my Nacra 450..gusting to 25 mph...used the boat launch did every thing right..except my 2 sons and my buddy all wanted to go at the same time...hmmm whats the weight limit..oh well does'nt matter lets go,we actually had a great time and she sailed well but we were close hauled and the leeward hull was allready digging when my biggest son decides to move forward to hold onto the mast...as I was yelling "no don't"
she stood right up on her nose and the jib was filling with water <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />..we all piled into one another like dominoes..
..she did a quick perouette on her nose and bobbed back up like a cork!!..we all started laughing with relief when "pop"
the sail filled and we were off again like a rocket..needless to say my son stayed rearward a bit..good times. but I think I should be more careful.
Carl

Ps There were to hobie 16's out as well..one of them pitchpoled rather violently twice and was turtled the second time..fortunetly nobody was hurt.

One day last summer my friend and i sat on 3 Rooker Island, about 5 miles north of our home beach. He looked up from his beer and said, "look at those storm clouds! If we were smart we would head home." I replied, "Ok, another beer it is!”

We actually beat the storm in. We had my Hobie 18 on the beach when he then said, "let’s go out and play on my Dart". Since he is an accomplished sailor and I know Darts handle big wind well (and I was properly lubricated), I agreed.

We watched all the kayakers coming in. Saw all the other catamarans coming in and even ignored a fellow cat sailor on the beach who warned the radar was really bad and he was taking his cat home. The last sign was a cute bikini clad kayaker calling us crazy for going out….

Well as we played in the 25+ gusts, and shot a rooster tail seemingly OVER 10 feet, all we could do was smile. Then it got ugly! We were now in 35-40 gusts and heading back to the shore. We were going VERY fast and he said to me, “HOLD ON” this is gonna be ugly!”

We drove p the beach at full speed…. About 1000 feet south of our launching area. Quickly dropped the main and jib and started to carry the sails back to our car area. IT WAS WILD, and we made it… Very exhilarating.

Here is where I messed up. As I walked back to my Hobie (that was rocking like crazy, ready to ghost fly a hull on the beach) I was concerned about my jib. I had troubles with it previously and was worried it might unfurl (as I had not tied it up when I went out on the Dart). As I touched the cleat, to make sure it was snug…. It popped open and my jib flew out. It flapped violently and louder than a rock concert. It was shredded in seconds. Bye bye matching sails.

I had to sit on the bows to keep the boat from flying away (or so it seemed). I decided I had better drop the mast… but Mother Nature wouldn’t play. Lightning exploded all around us, and I couldn’t get near the adjuster plate to undo the forstay.

Well,… it took 6 people but we get her on her side. Got the forestay off and dropped the mast. All the while the shredded remains of my jib were flapping wildly.

The rain and lightning forced us all to sit in cars. About 45 minutes later it calmed down enough for my friend and I to go get the Dart we had left down beach. A bolt of lightning exploded right behind us and across the sky. We both turned around (without saying a word) and went back to sit in the cars to wait longer.

The beach was strewn with cats on their sides, upside down and my shredded jib (sure wish I tied that up).

Well live and learn. Now I always tie up my jib. I will listen to friends who have seen the radar. Respect storm clouds a little more. And am happy I am here to sail another day.

Thats what makes the 16 so much fun in my opinion. The fact that you are ripping along at a very nice pace and never even see the pitchpole coming. You're checking out your nice rooster tail one second, and face first into the water the next! Having to always worry about pitching is what keeps me on my toes.

In my opinion the best way to say, "hey that is a really dumb idea" is to say "Hey dude, I don't think I would be caught dead on this tin can tri" <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Problem is, I couldn't say anything...that project is beyond words....and all I can manage is to run as fast & far away as possible, screaming my head off.

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Most people are pleased to get advice when you explain what they are doing will cost them dollars down the track.

I saw two young guys filling the hulls of their cat with water. I couldn't help myself and wandered over to ask why. They said they were leaving it on the beach and water ballast meant it wouldn't blow over. When told about osmosis they pulled the bungs, dried it out and tied it to a tree.

Sometimes though others won't take advice if you hit them with a fencepost. New owner of old cat enlists our help to set up on beach and then asks how to sail it as he hadn't had a prepurchase test sail. We said go out 200 yards and come back, then do it again. Stay close to shore so if you get in trouble someone can assist you. We said we will watch you. A short time later he disappears around the point of the bay as the breeze fills in apparently racing another cat. Hours later people start leaving the beach but we walk to the point and see the cat on its side drifting further offshore. I convince a returning fisherman in a tinny to head out and we eventually find the cat sailor sitting on one hull, a big lump on his forehead and being violently sick. He has no idea or the strength to get cat upright or to keep it upright in the breeze, or get back to shore with one rudder and the rudder bar torn off. We get cat upright and tow him in, pack up his gear and he disappears. Soon after there is a For Sale advert in the paper. I bet he's never gone near a cat since and tells his friend 'They're dangerous and unpredictable, look what happened to me!